


Per Aspera Ad Astra:  Through Hardships to the Stars

by Kryssala



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:33:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25206295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kryssala/pseuds/Kryssala
Summary: Zenos has reclaimed his body after tailing Khaelen for so long. Her vanishing into thin air and then returning has him wondering what new tricks his beast has learned in her time away. He is eager to find out, yet a mysterious white robed figure is dangling the ultimate prey in front of him, the power of the first primal.Khaelen has returned from the First, her victory there feeling like ashes on her tongue, rather than another glorious win. She finds her self trying to cope with the feelings of loss that have plagued her since she defeated Emet-Selch. With her closest friends’ bodies still laying comatose and their condition deteriorating she is racing against the clock to find a way to bring their souls home. Her emotions are raw and she has no desire to deal with the arrogant prince when he demands they meet.Their fates are intertwined and as tensions rise between the two, something is about to give way.
Relationships: Aymeric de Borel & Warrior of Light, Nero tol Scaeva/Warrior of Light, Scions of the Seventh Dawn & Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch & Warrior of Light, Warrior of Light & Estinien Wyrmblood, Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	1. Reunions are Hard

The Lalafell peered at her friend who was poking a straw at the ice in her coffee. Tataru wasn’t sure how the Xaela sitting in front of her could drink the iced black beverage laced with copious amounts of heavy cream that turned it a pale tan. What worried her more was the distant look that was in her green eyes. It had been there since the Warrior of Light, or was it Darkness now, had returned from the First. It had been a week and she had said less than normal. When Tataru asked her about it, she got the same replied, a small smile and hushed not yet.

Tataru cleared her throat. “So, have you unpacked your new home yet? I can’t wait to see it. I’ve never been in a mansion before.”

Khaelen Solena blinked, her mind almost not registering the Lalafell’s voice. She had forgotten Tataru was there. “Not yet. I may be able to dispatch my attackers with speed, but tackling the such a large project is going to take a while.” Truth be told she hadn’t spent much time there. The place felt so empty, cold. She had wanted such an estate for a while and when she found one had jumped on the prospect immediately. She had pictured a warm cozy home, filled with good food and her friends laughing and joking with each other. She looked at the door leading to the room where most of her friends’ bodies were laying. She had bought the mansion just before she had left for the First. After returning she had lost all motivation. She wasn’t sure if her friends would ever return or if they could. They had made lives for themselves there, and they were happy. Then again, they may have little choice in the matter. She could travel between the two stars. Her friends on the other hand, as far as anyone knew, wouldn’t be able to. It would be one place or the other. If they had a choice would they even come back? What would happen if their bodies died here on the Source?

“Khaelen?” Tataru place a tiny hand on her friends darkly scaled wrist and sighed. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

The shinobi gave the same small smile. “Not yet.”

Tataru shook her head. “You really-” the sharp trill of a link pearl interrupted her.

The Lala’s face scrunched up in puzzlement. “She knows what any of us know about him. What’s happened?” She frowned. “No, no we haven't heard anything. You don’t think that-?”

Khaelen tilted her head to one side, curious as to what the other side of the conversation was.

Tataru when pale, her eyes widening. “He...he...what?” There was a pause. “Give me the details and I’ll let Khaelen know.”

“You’ll let me know what?” Khaelen prompted the stunned Lala.

“Well, the good news, I suppose, it the Emperor is dead and the black rose has been put to an end. Troops have withdrawn some what. The bad news is Zenos struck down his father and has disappeared refusing to take the throne. Also, he wants to meet with you, in Ghimlyt.”

Khaelen’s eyes narrowed. “And if I refuse?”

Tataru shrugged. “There was no verbal threat made, but...”

The Auri pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “We both know what will happen if I don’t show up.”

“Take Lyse with you. She’s the one who got the message and knows where to go. I might also suggest seeing if Yugiri and Lord Hien can go with you. I know you are capable on your own, but I don’t think Estinien will be able to swoop in at the last second this time in case things....” the statement trailed off and Tataru smiled uneasily.

They both knew what was left unspoken between them. Zenos had come back from the dead thanks to the resonate. It was a wild card. Neither knew the full extent of the ability. Zenos had spoken of the untapped potential of the Echo before their final fight what seemed ages ago. Had he been suggesting the Echo could do the same thing for her? She wasn’t about to find out and quite frankly found the idea disturbing. She smiled tiredly at her friend. “My job is never finished. Let Lyse know I’m on my way, I need to find my link pearl first.” The thought of seeing Zenos again made her stomach sink like a rock. This was one reunion she never had wanted. Of all the people to come back from the gods damned dead...

Tataru nodded and watched her friend head to her rooms. She was worried for her. Not only because of the upcoming meeting, but also for whatever it was that she wasn’t telling her. Khaelen had always been open with all of her friends. This side of her frightened Tataru.  
~~~~~

The dark shroud that covered Ghymlyt’s skies added an air of foreboding to an already desolate waste land. The scars of war had left scorched swaths of land in its wake. Ragged banners of all those factions fluttered as a grim reminder of every life lost on both sides in the war. The site made Khaelen sick to her stomach. She wondered if the bloodshed would ever end. She knew for certain it wouldn't ever end until the Ascieans were stopped permanently.

The meeting area was close to where the initial failed negotiations with the Emperor had taken place. She could see the shattered remains of the tent from her vantage point on a hill. She had gone into the negotiations with an open mind, he had always seemed reasonable. Her illusion had been shattered when he said he wanted to make all the races into one. Things were a bit unclear still, but she was pretty sure this would have played right into the Ascieans’ plans.

“Are you sure about this?” Lyse asked from one side.

“We know what will happen if I don’t.” Khaelen rested her hands on the hilts of her daggers as a dark figure approached from the distance. “No heroics from either of you. This is between me and him.”

Yugiri and Lyse exchanged a concerned look behind their friends back.

~~~~~~

His friend, his enemy...nay his prey stood on a hill with two of her companions flanking her. He felt the adrenaline start to course through his veins at the thought of crossing blades with her again. He was intending this to be a quick battle. He wanted to see how much more savage she had become in her time away.

As Zenos approached the hill, he frowned slightly. She was standing there, more confident than ever, but that’s not what caught his attention. Her soul the last time he had seen her had appeared muted, a pale green. Now it was a more saturated hue of green, as if something had been added to it. That was a curiosity he may have to ask her about. He watched her aether crackle in black lightning through the aura. Sometimes it was in rhythm with a swish of her multi pointed tail or when she twirled a dagger in her hand. It definitely spiked every time he took a step in her direction. He had never seen anyone's aether flash like that before. He paused to take in all of the outward changes as well. Gone were the green highlights in her hair, gone was the short skirt and halter top of the shisui gear, replaced by black and red shinobi chain mail. His instincts told him that something was not right with what he was seeing. Something felt wrong. He found it...concerning.

~~~~~~

“Why did he stop?” Khaelen growled. the grip on her daggers intensifying as she held them down at her sides.

Her companions shared another look. They had never seen her so agitated. It was practically palatable.

“Perhaps he is reconsidering his actions?” Yugiri suggested.

“Highly unlikely.” Khaelen smirked slightly when Zenos resumed his leisurely stride toward them.

He stopped a few yalms in front of the group, leaving plenty of distance between them to maneuver, if necessary.

The shinobi was pacing back and forth like some wild cat that had cornered its prey ready to strike at a moment's notice. She was flipping one of her daggers around, her green eyes never leaving him.

She was so much more than he remembered, so much more than the beast he had left behind. Perhaps they had left the notion of prey and predator behind and both become predators vying for dominance. That would do so much better.

Khaelen closed the gap between them cautiously. “What is it you want Zenos?”

He watched her stalk back and forth for a moment, the words he had carefully prepared earlier lost on him. He closed the space between them even further to a more intimate distance. He tilted her chin up with the clawed metal tip of his finger. He had always been fascinated with the way the limbal rings of her eyes seemed to glow green especially in the dim light of their currant surroundings. "You have not been sleeping." He brushed the leather pad of his gauntlet over the dark circles under her eyes.

She pushed his hand forcefully away with the flat of her blade. "You try protecting two stars from a race of jack ass immortals and see how much sleep you get."

He watched the lightning of her aether spark violently when she spoke of the Ascieans. "I would never do such a thing."

"Of course you wouldn't."

Zenos reached to brush her long hair back over her shoulder. He watched the strands fall between his fingers before her blade turned his hand away again. "The Asciean intruder explained many things to me before he turned tail. One of them was an interesting explanation of who and what Zodiark is. I intend to make his power mine that we may dance together once more." He smirked.

Khaelen scowled at the taunting smile that played across Zenos’s face. “So still going with the trite, mustache twirling villain thing? Why am I not surprised there isn’t much more to you than that? Was there anything else or do I get to pummel you now?” She started prowling again.

Zenos placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, sliding it that tiny fraction out of his sword revolver indicating that he was ready. “Just one thing.” A slight smile replaced the taunting one, the look in his ice blue eyes softened for a moment. “I am glad you have returned to me hail and whole...” He paused. “My only friend.”

Khaelen stopped her pacing and pointed her dagger at him, her posture stick straight. Zenos suddenly knew what the phrase if looks could kill meant.

“Never call me that again!” Khaelen hissed. “You lost any right to call me that when you decided to try and cut your own head off in front of me.” The tip of the dagger shook as the rage she had been holding back since she got there finally broke free.

Zenos took an inadvertent step back. Her eyes, they were filled with so much hate, so much... disgust and it was all aimed at him. He was use to this from other people and it had never bothered him. Until it was her looking at him like that. It left him in stunned silence.

"Good men who didn’t deserve to die lie cold in their graves while you get a second chance. And what do you choose to do with it? The same pointless, _boring_ , things you did the first time. If this is how you choose to use this new life you have so be it, but know this. If you continue on this path, I will end you. And when I do, of that you can be certain, I will burn your corpse to ashes the second your soul leaves it.” She took a step towards him and stopped, aether suddenly swirling around her as she dissipated along the currents to who knows where.

Zenos locked his sword back into place and looked at her friends. They too stood there in stunned silence. This confirmed his thoughts. What she had just said was out of character. He turned and started the slow walk back to his personal craft, feeling as though he had been punched in the gut. _Never call me that again_ , those were the words that stuck with him, not her promise of destroying him utterly. He needed to go. He needed to figure out why those words affected him so much.


	2. Guilt Maybe?

“Seven hells, Khaelen!” The doors to the Rising Stones banged open as Lyse burst in. “How could you poke a mad man like that and then just leave?”

“You were never in any danger. I was the one he wanted,” The Auri poked her grilled salmon a couple of times before setting her fork down.

Lyse leaned on her forward on her palms that rested on the table in front of her friend. “If you had angered him-”

“Tell me, have you ever seen him mad? Or even loose his temper?” Khaelen shook her head. “He wanted a fight with me. His arrogance wouldn’t let him settle for lesser sport or prey or what ever he’s calling it now.”

The wooden legs of the chair scraped against the floor as Lyse pulled it away from the table and plopped down in it. “So now what? You know he’s not going to leave you alone just because you yelled at him.”

The shinobi pushed her unfinished plate away from her. “I go unpack my house and when he calls on me again he better be ready to end this farce.”

Tataru watched the aether swirl around Khaelen as she left. “She didn’t eat, again.” The Lalafell shook her head speaking to no one in particular.

Lyse glanced over at the doors leading to the infirmary. “Maybe once they wake up they can tell us what happened to her there.”

Tataru nodded hoping it was going to be that easy, but it rarely was.

~~~

Zenos sat with his long legs stretched out in front of him, his head propped up by his hand, elbow resting on the arm of his chair, the soft whirls and clicks of the magitek surrounded him with their hypnotic noises. Anyone passing by might think him calm, but his mind whirled as much as the technology around him.

 _Never call me that again!_ Those words kept ringing in his mind. And with them the feeling of... something. He couldn’t put a word to it exactly, but it left him agitated. This was something he wasn’t use to feeling and he didn’t like it. It had been a week. He could still hear the venom in her voice, see the hate in her eyes.

If it had been anyone else saying those things to him, he would have felt nothing. Hadn't she accepted him? Had his little stunt really bothered her that much? Enough to make her hate him? Perhaps he had been wrong the first time thinking she actually did accept him. The thought had crossed his mind briefly during their conversation that she was only telling him what she thought he wanted to hear.

Truth be told he wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he saw her there. It was almost as if reason its self had been striped from him the moment he caught sight of her standing there so strong and confident. Nary a hint of fear. He smiled a bit at the thought. He had wanted to take her measure, and his own as well. And then…

_Never call me that again!_

He closed his blue eyes. Was this what it felt like when someone wounds you emotionally? It was something he never believed anyone capable of doing. Hells, he didn’t even think he had emotions enough to be hurt.

He wanted to track her down, demand she explain why she had said those things to him. Instead he got up and grabbed his blade revolver and helm heading out the door. Food, then maybe he would find a fight some place to ease his mind.

Zenos hadn’t intended to take his personal craft clear to a remote village some where to the east of the capital. He had just started thinking of those events again and ended up there. He had truly wanted food and thought about turning back to the city. Food was food though and there was probably a tavern here that would serve.

The stunned silence that settled over the establishment caused him to smirk. It was probably a good thing his helm was still on or the poor vermin would have scattered to the winds upon seeing it. As it was the server that greeted him was visibly shaking as she showed him to a table in the corner.

“My Lord, we have simple fare, but if you have any requests we can see what the cook can make.”

Zenos took his helm off in set it on the chair next to him. “What is this simple fare you refer to?” Normally having people quaking would serve to mildly entertain him, tonight it was almost vexing.

“A stew made from the most recent catch, a stag.”

Zenos nodded. “That will serve.”

The girl looked relieved as she rushed off.

The Garlean surveyed the room. Most people had retreated to talking in hushed whispers, probably trying to figure out what he was doing here.

The Hyur girl returned with a basket of rolls and a dish of butter. She flinched. “I forgot to ask what you wanted to drink.” Her eyes darted to his weapons.

He could have made her squirm, but he would much just rather be left to his own thoughts. “Ale, mead. I'm not picky."

She scurried off again.

Before he was even able to butter a roll the door to the tavern flew open. “There’s been another attack!” A flustered looking youth clamored before slipping on some melted snow and falling on his face.

“Boy!” one of the older men in the tavern called out. “Watch yourself, we have a very important guest tonight.”

Zenos took a bite out of his roll. “By all means, carry on. Pretend I am not here.”

Zenos was pretty sure the teen was going to fall again when he looked over at him.

“Your-!” the boy sputtered.

Zenos motioned with his roll. “Go on, I’m sure everyone wants to hear about this attack.”

“What’s he doing here?” the boy asked, a fraction of a bit to loud still staring at Zenos.

“Son, I swear!” the man got up and dragged the boy over to his table. “Now sit down and quit gawking. What happened?”

The rough treatment did something to bring the youth back to his senses. “The bear, or what ever we call it, just took out Lyn’s hunting party, all of them. Well except Lyn. He made it back, but he’s torn up pretty bad.”

The man swore under his breath. “That’s the last party we are sending after that damn thing till we can figure something out.”

The girl served his stew with a quick smile before hurrying off again. Zenos was surprised, it actually smelled pretty good. He had come in expecting the meal to be passable at best. Perhaps he had been mistaken. “Tell me of this bear you seem to have an issue with.”

The entire room went quiet again when his voice broke through the din. “Well?”

“Well we think its a bear, biggest one anyone has ever seen.” the boy chimed in.

The man next to him shoved a roll in his face. “Quiet boy!”

“But-!”

The elder glowered and the youth muttered something and took the roll.

“Seems we have a beast of some sort that has been terrorizing the local hunters. No one who has gotten a good look at the thing has returned alive. Been calling it a bear thanks to the claw marks left on it’s victims, but they are much to big to belong to an actual bear.” The elder looked frustrated. “This is the third hunting party we have lost to the thing. They were also some of our best hunters.”

“Where is this creature hunting?” Zenos took a bite of his food.

“About 15 malms north of here.” The man looked at him quizzically.

Zenos smirked. “Might make for passable sport.” If nothing else a minor distraction to the scene that kept playing out in his head. He finished his meal and headed out.

~~~

Tracking the beast turned out to be a simple matter, all he had to do was follow the large trail of blood soaking the snow. Judging by the amount the creature was dragging one of the dead hunters back to a den. If it was as big as they claimed it might have taken two with it. This was unusual prey for him to be tracking, he preferred the sport his fellow man offered. He knew that the lack of a challenge with his preferred prey would leave him more frustrated. He wasn't expecting anything much from this bear. Distraction was his goal.

The stride of the creature put it at about six or so yalms tall on two legs. If the tracks were to be taken at face value, it also had four front legs. He had never heard of such a creature, but he was in a remote part of the mountains of Ilsabard. After tracking it a while longer he was certain it had have two bodies with it or the hunters had injured it pretty badly. There was too much blood for it to be from one body. The snow had made determining how fresh it was impossible.

A little while later he came across a strange looking formation of sticks. It looked like a rudimentary shelter of sorts. A beaver dam out side of water is what it reminded him of, right down to the chewed ends of the logs. The trail of blood led right up to it. The noise of what sounded like two sticks clacking together in the wind drew his attention away from the hut. Human long bones tied to various other bones hung as macabre wind chimes in the evergreens. There wasn't just one but several of these of various ages. He smiled slightly. Maybe it was intelligent.

He drew Ame-no **-** Habakiri slowly, not wanting to alert the creature to his presence just yet. That's when it felt like the ground was trying to roll from under him. He was forced to leap sideways before the snow, or what he thought was snow, threw him off. It had set an ambush for him by burrowing deep into the snow and waiting until he was almost on top of it. Had his reflexes been that of an average person he would have lost his balance and been at it's mercy before the fight had even begun in earnest.

He had under estimated its height by at least a yalm, but he had been right about the extra appendages. Large horns protruded from it's spine creating an armor like covering for the back bone. It's hands were tipped with wicked looking claws that had bits of obsidian embedded in them. The body was covered with white fur, red with blood from bringing the kills back here. The head was almost bear like, but the proportions were off. The muzzle was wide and short and the ears were more pointed almost like a canine's. It bellowed at him revealing a maw full of large sharp teeth.

Zenos charged in, bringing his sword in a downward swipe across the creatures undefended torso. 

It turned sideways enough to turn the attack into nothing more than a glancing blow. It swung one of its massive arms at him which he blocked easily. It kept pushing against his blade with that arm, forcing it to bite deep into its hide. 

Zenos went to move out from under the arm so he could take another attack. The creature used one of its other arms to backhand him, hard. He flew through the air several fulms before landing hard against a tree and splintering it. The last time he had been knocked back with such force he had been fighting... He ended the thought before it could finish. He had come here to put her out of his mind, not reminisce while fighting the bear like thing that was now charging at him on all of its legs. Maybe it wasn't as intelligent as he had first believed. He set his feet in the snow and waited until the thing was just about on top of him before plunging his katana into its shoulder. 

Before he had a chance to withdraw his blade it stood up on its back legs again taking the sword and him with it. Zenos released his grip on the sword and fell back to the ground drawing another of his swords, grinning. 

Blood poured from the creature's wounded shoulder, the limb useless. It bellowed again before swiping at him with the other hand. 

Zenos noted that it wasn't using its second arm on the same side as the wounded shoulder as well. This left that entire flank open.

The heat from the creatures blood was melting the snow in the area turning it into a slick, muddy mess. He must have hit true and opened up an artery, but it didn't show any signs of slowing down. In fact it was attacking with even more strength than it had been, as if it hadn't taken any injuries at all. 

Even with that,it was essentially still fighting with one good arm. The fight was over moments later when he opened the thing up hip to hip when it failed to block his attack.

It still tried to inflict injuries to Zenos until the last breath rattled from its maw. He retrieved his sword from the corpse. Just like that, his respite from his thoughts was over. He put both swords back in his revolver and walked off, not sparing a second glance or thought to the cooling body of the creature he had just killed.

~~~

Lyse groaned as she spied the pile of paperwork on top of her desk that morning. Who knew setting up a government would have this much work involved?

She opened the window to her small office in one of the buildings close to the wall around the city. It was already getting way to warm in Ala Mhigo. She poured her self a glass of water and settled in. When she took this position she had no clue how many drafts of various laws there would be. She might gripe in her mind about it,but in all honesty she wouldn’t trade any of this.

She had been working for the better part of an hour when a commotion in the room out side of her office yanked her back to the present.

“You can’t just barge in there!” the voice of her Elezen assistant floated through the door.

There were some muffled protest and the sound of a minor scuffle. Curious, Lyse put her quill down and went to open the door. “Nymria, what’s going on?” She had barely opened the door when a young girl fell at her feet.

She looked up at Lyse, terror in her eyes. “He bade me give you this! Gods was he terrifying! And huge! Terrifying and huge!” The girl held out a folded note.

A sense of dread settled low in Lyse’s abdomen as she took the note. “Thank you.” She pressed a few gil into the girls palm and sent her on her way.

“Miss, is everything alright?” Nymria asked.

“We’ll see,” Lyse murmurer closing herself into her office.

Lyse wasn’t sure what she had expected. Threats maybe? The note was most definitely from Zenos, the handwriting matched the other one she had received. She was relieved this one had been delivered by a living person not the corpse of an imperial soldier tossed over the wall like last time. She had briefly wondered what the poor sod had done to end up on the wrong end of Zeno’s sword. Likely nothing knowing that madman.

The note was simple. She was to meet him out by a stone formation a couple of malms outside of the city in a remote area no one risked going to. It was over run with monsters. “Bet you feel right at home.” she grumbled. It had also requested she come alone and to try and apprehend him at her own peril.

Khaelen had turned her link pearl off again and having Tataru track her down within the hour he had set would be impossible.

A clandestine meeting with probably the most dangerous man on this star, what could go wrong? She tucked the note under the corner of a book on her desk and headed out after telling Nymria that if she wasn’t back by mid day or shortly there after to contact Tataru. She really hoped it wouldn’t come down to that.

Lyse made it to the meeting point in well under the hour the note had specified. She rubbed her chocobo’s beak looking out around the area. He could be lurking in any number of shadows.

“Timely, I had expected you to ignore my note.”

Lyse jumped. How had he managed to come up behind her and so quietly? “Yes well, we all know what might happen to the next messenger if I ignored you.” She took a deep breath to force her heart out of her throat before turning to face him.

Zenos stood there his helm tucked under his arm. “I need answers.”

“Don’t we all.” Lyse muttered. “What do you want exactly?”

“The eikon slayer, tell me what happened to her when she disappeared.”

“What?” Lyse was caught off guard by his question.

“I saw the expression on your face and that of your companion when she…” Zenos paused. “left so abruptly.”

“What about it?” Lyse studied his face. Was that worry that was drawing his brow together?

“We both know that was out of character for her.”

“Well, maybe you just crossed a line.”

“I will not ask again, what happened to her?”

After yelling at Khaelen for poking the monster here she was trying the same thing. She sighed, the strain of seeing her friend struggle with what ever it was becoming to much. “I don’t know, she won’t tell anyone.”

“Does she normally not speak of her exploits?” Zenos watched emotions crossing the woman’s face. She looked frustrated.

“No, that’s what is so infuriating. If the others were just awake I’m sure she would open up to one of them. Well, probably not Thancred.”

“Your companions are in a coma?” Zenos raised his eyebrows.

Lyse silently cursed herself for saying too much. “I’m sure that isn’t helping anything either.”

“So, she vanished to a place unknown, alone, and won’t talk about it?”

“Oh, seven hells, I’ve said too much anyway. Might as well say it all. She wasn’t alone. Our friends that are sleeping, their souls are on the First. That’s where she’s been going.” Lyse was surprised at how badly she had needed to talk. “I wish there was something, anything, I could do to help. I can only imagine what its like to go to another star and see your friends vibrant and alive then come back here to see them still asleep not knowing if they were ever going to wake up again.” She looked up again at Zenos. “Happy?”

The Garlean reached into a small pouch fastened to his belt. “Take this. Behind a bookcase in Aulus’s old lab is a hidden vault. This is the pass key to get into it. He was doing research on how to remove a soul from a body, to what end I’m not sure. The research is yours. As is anything else in there I suppose. Though I would suggest destroying anything that isn’t useful. There are things he was working on that you wouldn’t want the Empire to get their hands on.”

Lyse held her hand out for the pass key to be dropped into. “What is in this for you? Is it trapped?”

Zenos put his helm on and walked off, ignoring her last questions.

~~~

Lyse stared at the pass key torn with indecision. On the one hand something in there might help her friends, on the other, it might be a bunch of nonsense. And if it was useful, how would she know? This was hardly her area of expertise. If she took all this research, Garlean research, to Krile, how was she going to explain how she found it?

“Oh well you see Krile, I had this secret meeting with Zenos, spilled my guts to him on what was going on, he’s very easy to talk to by the way, and he gave me this.” Lyse put her forehead on the desk. “She’d kill me.”

There was a soft knock at the door. “Is everything alright miss? I thought I heard you talking to someone?”

“No sorry, I was thinking out loud.”

Nymria smiled. “I have to say you seem troubled.”

“What would you do if some possibly useful information that could help save someone came to light, but it was from the hands of your worst enemy?”

The Elezen tapped a finger to her lips. “If the information could save lives, isn’t it at least worth looking at?”

“Yes, but Krile will be so mad at me for even talking to him.”

“If you sit on this information and people die because of it, which will she forgive easier? Talking to your enemy or sitting on the information and letting people die?”

Lyse smiled. “Nymria, I’m so glad I have you around. Krile may not speak to me for a while, but if there is anything that may help my friends I owe it to them.”

“If you are truly worried about what Krile will say, lie to her about how you found the information.”

“If you have ever seen me try to lie you would know that is just a disaster waiting to happen. I’m taking the rest of the day off. This can’t wait.” Lyse snagged the pass key and headed off to the temple.

~~~

The last day she had been in the lab was the day they had gone through everything to make sure there weren’t any nasty surprises waiting. It had been locked after and no one had been inside since. At least she hoped that was the case. Lyse put her key in the lock and turned it and pushed the door open. The thick layer of dust over all of the equipment reassured her that no one had been in since. She walked by the vats, one of which Krile had been kept in. The days after were such a blur now, she wasn’t sure she remembered seeing any bookshelves. Off to one side a makeshift office had been made of an alcove. Above a table was a set of three bookshelves.

“Well, that’s all I see. So that must be it.” Lyse moved a few books experimentally. “I should have asked him how to find the vault. Behind a bookcase. Helpful.”

Not finding a secret book switch, she stood back with her hands on her hips regarding the wall. “If I was a mad scientist, where would I hide the switch to my super secret vault?”

Lyse pushed the table away from the wall and looked at it critically. Three shelves full of books and what looked like brackets for a fourth shelf, but the table would have been in the way. She idly ran her fingers over the brackets. Her finger found a lip hidden in a shadow on the one on her left. “Well, what do we have here?” She brought a lamp closer to the spot. It was a slot, just the size of the pass key Zenos had given her. “Well, lets hope this doesn’t blow up or something.”

The key slid in and after a few seconds the wall swung open. Several thick folders sat in the vault as if waiting for the scientist to return any moment. Quickly she took the folders and stuffed them into her large leather bag. She closed the door and quickly left the empty lab. With the door closed and locked behind her, she sighed not realizing she had been holding her breath the entire way out. She headed off to the Rising Stones in hopes that something in the reams of paper would help her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Lyse...


	3. The Plan

Khaelen crossed her arms, her gaze focused on the woman in front of her. “What?” It was more a statement than a question. Her voice held an edge of anger.

“I mean this stuff is all gibberish to me. I’m not an engineer or anything, but it could be helpful, right?” The green eyes that Lyse normally found so pretty now made her squirm with their intensity.

Krile also was fixing her friend with a glare and had her arms crossed. “How could you take anything from that..that monster?”

“Meeting him alone was reckless.” Khaelen added.

It was Lyse’s turn to glare. “It wasn’t as if I had a choice. He would have sent another messenger, probably dead next time.” She sat down in the chair heavily. “Besides wasn’t it you who said we weren't in any danger; that he just wanted to fight you?”

“That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have taken you hostage to get at me.,” Khaelen snapped, maybe a bit to harshly. “What does he want in return?”

Lyse sighed. “He didn’t ask for anything. He just gave me the pass key and left.”

“I hate it when he does something like this. He always has an end game, probably joining with Zodiark this time. He most likely did this so I wouldn’t be distracted by anything but what he was doing.” Khaelen pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

Krile flipped over another paper. She had silently started flipping through a file while the other two women argued. “I think we need to call Cid.”

Khaelen focused on the Lalafel. “You think something in there could help?”

“I can only speak to what it says about the soul and related aetherical information, but yes.”

“Are you willing to put your trust in something _he_ gave us?” The Auri steadily held Krile’s gaze. “After what he did?”

“I don’t have to like where the information came from, but we would be remiss if we ignored it just because of the source.” Krile neatened the pile of papers.

Tataru, who had been silent the entire time, chimed in. “I’ll get a hold of Cid then.” She started to bounce off excitedly. “Oh and Lyse, if you could come with me I have something for you.”

Lyse looked at her bouncy friend and got up. It was probably more outfits or something.

After they turned the corner to the hall way leading to what had become Tataru’s work room, the Lalafel stopped and faced Lyse. “So what aren’t you telling them?”

Lyse hesitated a moment looking back over her shoulder. Tataru had always been too perceptive. “Well…,” she hesitated again. “He asked why she wasn’t herself, about what had happened to her on the First.” She pause considering her next words carefully. “I think he was worried.”

Tataru’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“As much as you can be with him. I mean his expression is always so...impassive, but this time. Well, he looked worried.”

Tataru handed Lyse a stack of neatly folded clothes in her signature red. “I see why you didn’t say anything, especially right now. Seems anything said about Zenos makes her mood worse.”

“I noticed.” She held the dress up to herself. “This is a bit.. formal? Beautiful, but formal.”

Tataru grinned and stroked the velveteen fabric. “You needed something for all of those meetings you have been going to. The bodice is snug, but you should be able to move if you need to. The skirt is slit high enough you can still kick and stuff.”

Lyse traced her fingers along the gold embroidery. It was traditional Ala Mhigan designs. “After I quit the Scions I never expected you to still make me things. Thank you.”

The tiny Lalafel reached up and patted Lyse’s hand. “No matter what, you will always be one of us.”

“Thank you, I needed to hear that.” Lyse smiled.

~~~~

Cid would flip through one page then hand it to Nero for him to look over. The design was ingenuous. It almost made him jealous, if it wasn’t for the markedly nefarious purpose it was intended for. “Modified I think we can get it to work. It should stabilize the auracite and allow it to be transported.”

“Isn’t this Zenos’s lap dog Aulus's work? He was one paranoid mad genus. Only he and Zenos would have had access to this.” Nero mused.

“Yes, how did you find this, much less access it.?” Cid cast a pointed look at Khaelen.

“I’m not the one who made a deal with a demon.” The shinobi looked at Lyse.

“I get it, be mad all you want. If it can help them I’m not apologizing.” Lyse crossed her arms and sat back in her chair. “Besides, there wasn’t any deal made. He just walked off.”

Nero looked at the monk with mild surprise. “Zenos just handed you access to all of this?” He grinned at Cid. “Who are we to look a gift chocobo in the beak?”

Cid sighed and shook his head. “I’m going to need at least a days worth of aetherical readings from both here and the First on all of them. It shouldn’t take me long to rig something up for you to take with you, Khaelen.”

Khaelen smiled looking less stressed than she had for many moons.

~~~~

Y’shtola tried to stifle the laugh at the expression on Khaelen’s face as she relayed the story of how they had come across the information that just might be able to get them back to their bodies. She failed; only managing to hide behind her hand.

“What?” Khaelen demanded.

The Miqo’te waved her hand, still smiling. “I’m sorry, but you look so, what’s the word I’m looking for?”

“Indignant?” Alisaie offered.

“Yes. Perhaps a little too much for a person who put flowers on his grave that first night and for a couple of days after.” Thancred added.

“Thancred!” Khaelen’s eyes widened and her cheeks colored slightly. “You were following me?”

It was Alisaie’s turn to giggle.

“I was making sure no one took to defiling his grave. You just happened to be there.” The gunbreaker grinned at her.

“Back to the issue at hand,” Alphinaud interjected trying to save his friend from more teasing, “I believe we should get started on those readings. Taking them as close to the ones our friends are taking on the Source should yield a better result.”

Alisaie crossed her arms, sending a mock glare her brother’s way. “Kill joy.”

Khaelen looking relieved pulled out the wrist bands Cid and Nero had made for each. “Cid said just to ware these for a day. They will automatically record at the same intervals.”

The ninja helped each of her friends put the bands on and activate them. She saved Y’shtola for last. She could tell by the intensity of her gaze that the Miqo’te wanted to talk with her. Avoiding it was not an option.

The others had gathered off in a corner to chat among themselves about the renewed possibly of going home. Y’shtola fixed the Warrior of Darkness with a steady gaze. “What has Zenos done to make you so angry with him?”

Khaelen sighed. “He’s going to merge with Zodiark.”

“And he told you this why? He kept Shinryu a secret till the end.”

“He didn’t tell me exactly. He knows about Zodiark, that’s enough to know what his plans are.”

“So you are inferring future actions based off past ones? Has he not acted in an unpredictable way already?”

Khaelen tried not to flinch away from Y’shtola’s gaze. “His ends for helping are purely selfish. I’m distracted by what is happening here. If he can eliminate that I can focus on him.”

“Did he tell this to Lyse or are you inferring again?”

“He doesn’t need to. His actions, his motivations, have always been for this hunt he’s so fond of. I have no reason to believe he has changed.”

“You spoke of your words to him on your first meeting. Perhaps he took them to heart. His aid might indicate that.”

“Y’shtola he almost killed you. Why are you trying to defend him?”

She shrugged. “I can think of two Garlean allies of ours who tried to kill you. Would having a third be so bad, especially one as powerful as Zenos.”

“He’s…” Khaelen trailed off. “He’s beyond redemption.”

The Miqo’te tilted her head to one side. “The Khaelen I know use to see the good in anyone. You were the one who encouraged us to give Emet-Selch the benefit of the doubt.”

“And look how that ended.” The Auri averted her eyes.

“Are you projection what happened with him on what might happen with Zenos?”

“Zenos has already proven his motives are selfish. I don’t need to project.”

“So no second chance then?”

“No.”

“It doesn’t have to end that way again.” Y’shtola’s voice was gentle, almost motherly.

“I got too close to Emet-Selch, I’ll not make that mistake again.”

Y’shtola’s brow furrowed. “In what way?”

Khaelen snapped the wrist band closed and turned it on. “There, it should start taking readings. If that’s all I have some things I need to take care of while I’m here.”

“Khaelen-”

The shinobi shook her head and walked out the door of the Ocular.

Alisaie walked up to Y’shtola. “What was that about?”

“You were right. She’s taking what happened with Emet-Selch exceptionally hard.”

“Did she give any clue as to why?”

Y’shtola shook her head. “I’m not sure. Its as if something shook her entire world view and she’s not having an easy time adjusting.”

“History is written by the victors.” Alisaie murmured. “Perhaps she is seeing the other side of her victories. I just wish she would talk to us.”

“Agreed.”

~~~~

Zenos had contemplated smashing the linkpearl after it had chimed for the fifth time. It was his aunt requesting his presence. Requesting was the wrong word. Demanding fit better. He was tiring of this farce. He had assumed that his absence from court had indicated his desire to remain apart from any of the political machinations the various factions of his family were planning. He was wrong. The temptation to put a sword through his aunt was there. He would refrain, for now. The Ultima weapon was of interest to him now and publicly killing his aunt wouldn’t further his plans.

So he would humor her, for now.

Adria wir Galvus tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair impatiently. Her nephew was keeping her waiting again. Annia and Julia quo Soranus stood to either side of her, also waiting.

The door to the sitting room swung open and Zenos strolled through at a maddeningly slow pace.

Adria frowned. “Do you always have to ware that armor? No one here is going to attack you, you are my nephew after all.”

Zenos’s eyes moved from one sister to the other. “Armor or no only a fool would challenge me. So I prefer my armor.”

“So be it.” Adria sighed. “You are set on abdicating the throne then?”

“If my lack of accepting it isn’t proof enough for you, then yes I abdicate.”

She fixed her gold eyes on Zenos. “Then we need to form a strategy to keep you uncle from taking it.”

The once prince looked slightly amused. “Who then will take the throne? You who has no claim or military might to back her?”

“Who do you think restarted the Ultima project?” She smiled smugly.

Zenos kept his expression schooled. “I thought it was Val van Rhees.”

“Rhees is my man. Always has been.”

“Then why do you need me?”

“I need that beautiful tactical mind of yours, and if I have your support few will challenge me. Your uncle is the last true heir. If he was to some how meet his demise…” Adria let her voice trail off.

“Then hire an assassin.”

Adria glared. “You have always been insufferable. Fine, if you won’t do that, I have a task you will find more to your liking. Kill the eikon slayer.”

“I will, in my own time.” Zenos rested his hand on his revolver and started to leave, tiring of the conversation.

“You will not leave until I have dismissed you and you will kill her now, not when it strikes your fancy!”

Zenos stopped and turned around. “I am beholden to no one, especially you, dear aunt.” He fixed his cold, blue eyes on her.

Adria was taken back by his stare. She had heard how intimidating it was, but had disregarded it as hearsay. Needlessly she pressed. “You need friends here Zenos. Until you are dead pretenders to the throne will want your head. I can be one of those friends.”

“I welcome them to try. I have never had need of friends and I certainly have no need of them now.”

That last part was hard to say, he wasn’t sure why. It was true. _Never call me that again!_

“I will lock you out of the Ultima project. Since friendly overtures seem to be getting no where.”

“My clearance cannot be changed by the likes of you or anyone else for that matter.”

“I let you see the Ultima project.” Adria smirked. “No one but my team has access to it, except you and that is by design. I thought it might keep you interested in the goings on if you thought you might be able to test such a creation.”

“I have no need of such things.” He turned to leave. “Do not go interfering with my hunt.” As casually as he walked into the room he left.

Adria paused waiting to make sure her arrogant nephew had truly left the house. “Go to the engineers, let them know we are going to need the projectors after all. I wish to test them, soon.”

Julia bowed slightly. “As you wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually found Garlean naming traditions.


	4. Homecoming

Khaelen stood on the cliff overlooking Amaurot, or what was left of it anyway. She hadn’t been back since they had found the area with the recordings that had left them with more questions than answers. She sighed as the aether swirled around her to send her to the aetherite in the city.

Fewer people were around, and some were more faded than others. She found herself wandering the streets unaware of where her feet were taking her. She ended up at the Bureau of the Architect. Hythlodaeus was still sitting on the bench where she had seen him last. She hopped up on the bench and sat down beside him again.

“Hello, my old friend. You seem out of sorts. Are you here to see Emet-Selch again?” The Ascian nodded at her.

“I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again.” Khaelen folded her hands in her lap and looked down.

“Why is that?”

Khaelen hesitated. “We had a fight.”

“Ah. You are so much like her, this is not a surprise. They fought occasionally as well. Then they would come to an understanding and all would be well.”

“I don’t think that is going to happen this time.”

“Hmm, I see. Perhaps waiting for him in his office might ease your mind. Talking things through with him wouldn’t hurt.”

“You know he’s not coming back and this whole place is fading right?” She clenched her fists.

Hythlodaeus nodded again. “Until this place has completely faded, you will still feel his presence in his office. Go, speak your peace.”

Khaelen slid off the bench. “I’m-”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Remember I am just aether formed into an image of an old friend.”

Khaelen nodded and headed to the office.

The door slid closed with a soft hiss. It was as she last remembered, not a thing out of place. She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor.

“This is stupid, talking to an empty room. At least when I talk to Haurchefant I have a grave and I bring flowers.” She tilted her head back, resting it on the wall. “I even brought flowers to your great-grandson's grave. I didn’t know at the time his body was missing.” She laughed a bit. “But you, I have no grave to take flowers to. It seems odd to bring them here. I guess this would be the closest thing to a tomb you would have. I don’t know what to say. I want to yell at you, ask you why you wouldn’t just let the Exarch take all that light like he wanted. You knew of a way to save everything, yet you wanted a monster just as Zenos wants a beast. Is that all I am to your family? Something sub-human?”

She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. “All the stories you spent time telling me, I felt like I was there. The words you spoke to me about when my soul would be complete, I thought… I thought.”

She banged her head against the wall lightly. “Never mind, this is stupid. You are gone, destroyed by my hand. I will never forget, how could I? What happened here will forever scar me.”

Khaelen stood up. “Good bye, Emet-Selch.” Aether swirled around her as she headed back to the Crystarium.

~~~

The snow crunched under the shinobi’s feet as she trudged up the hill. It was a fresh layer of the never ending powder. She clutched the flowers tighter as she watched her step.

The grave overlooked Ishgard, a fitting place for one of it’s protectors.

Khaelen brushed the remains of the last flowers she had left there away and sat down the new ones. She straightened the almost shattered shield, sighing.

“I must be crazy, I’ve spent more time talking to the dead recently than the living, or there is so much on my mind that I don’t think the living would understand.”

Despite the cold and inevitable dampness, she sat down, leaning on the headstone. Her purple chocobo, Arwyn, laid down beside her a trilled softly aware of her distress.

“I’m a mess, Haurchefant. I feel guilty, so guilty, about this victory. I think I sympathized with my opponent too much. He wanted his people back and I wanted to save mine. We were the villains in each other’s stories.” She picked up some snow and formed it into a ball.

“Why is it that family seems to be able to hurt me? I am so mad at Zenos. A second chance and all he can think of is the next great battle with me. Same old thing. I don’t even know why he asked if I would accept him that time. He reached out, then slapped my hand away when I reached back.”

Khaelen threw the ball causing her bird to lift his head. He clicked his beak in annoyance and rested it back in her lap. She smiled a bit. It reminded her of the nickname Karasu had given her when they first met. She had become fond of the goofy ninja. In the end he had just vanished.

“And don’t even ask me about Emet-Selch. Oh yeah, I haven't told you about him. You remember Solas, once Emperor of Garlemald right? Turns out he was an Ascian, one of the important ones. I killed him. So two down one to go. A hallow victory. I made the mistake of getting to know him, listening to his story. Maybe it was all a plan to cause me to doubt my path in case I did defeat him, a contingency plan of sorts.”

“Zenos has something up his sleeve. He handed us the research that is going to help us bring the Scions' souls back from the First. I can’t figure out why. Y’shtola suggested that maybe it’s guilt. I spoke harshly to him when I first got back. I thought I saw a moment of hurt pass over his eyes. I probably imagined it. How can someone who is so out of touch with emotion feel hurt? Isn’t that part of being a sociopath? Lack of emotion, empathy? He doesn’t even bother to fake it like some.”

She snuggled against Arwyn and closed her eyes, soaking up the warmth. “I’m so tired, Haurchefant. All of this, I think it’s finally taken its toll on me.” Soon, she had drifted off to sleep.

Estinien landed silently in the snow, next to his sleeping sister. “Let’s go, before you fall ill.” He picked her up like he had so many times before.

~~~~

Khaelen blinked a couple of times. She could smell the wood smoke from the large fireplace and the scent from the warm blankets protecting her from the cold was familiar. Last thing she remembered was laying against Arwyn. She sat up and looked around. Estinien was asleep in one chair, Aymeric in another on her other side. She smiled. She had lost count how many times this had happened.

The dragoon stirred, and focused on Khaelen. “You really shouldn’t fall asleep in the snow.”

Aymeric lifted his head and smiled. “You’re awake. I’ll have breakfast started.”

Khaelen shook her head. “I’m sorry Aymeric, I need to get back to the Rising Stones.”

The Lord’s smile faltered slightly. “I see.”

“No.” Estinien stood up. “You need to eat, sister.”

Khaelen looked up at the dragoon. “Estinien..”

He crossed his arms. “What ever you need to do can wait a couple more bells. You need to eat.”

Her protests were cut short by a loud rumble from her stomach. She sighed. “Alright.”

The dragoon smirked. “Good, I didn’t want to carry down to the dinning room.”

“You wouldn’t.”

Estinien’s gaze intensified. “You are my sister and if you won’t take care of yourself I will do it for you.”

“Come, Estinien, let her get changed.” Aymeric opened the door.

Khaelen frowned slightly noting she was in a long shirt that came down to her knees. She looked up at the two men. “Who?”

“Lucia. You were soaked when Estinien brought you home and we couldn’t wake you. Your clothes have been laundered and are sitting on the chest over there.” Aymeric smiled as he closed the door behind the two.

Khaelen flopped down on bed. She could just teleport out. She glanced at the bathroom that contained a huge stone bathtub. A nice long soak won out. This was home, a place more than just walls with her things in it. Her family was here. Some of the loneliness she had been feeling faded. Hearing Estinien refer to her as sister again had helped. She hadn’t realized how badly she had needed to hear that.

The table was set out with more food than Khaelen had seen in a long time. Hot cakes, warm maple syrup and butter to go with them, bacon, sausage and some sort of fancy egg dish she didn’t know the name of. She could also smell the coffee. Her stomach rumbled again.

Aymeric pulled her chair out for her. “There is plenty of cream for your coffee, if you still take it that way.”

Khaelen set her hand on his. “Thank you for this.” She looked to Estinien. “Both of you.”

Estinien lifted his glass. “What is family for?”

~~~~

Cid studied the readings from the bands one at a time, comparing them to what he and the others had taken on the Source. “Thancred is going to prove tricky.”

“However, we have risen to the challenge,” Nero added.

Cid shook his head. “True, we have. However, the modifications we had to make, well there is some room for error. We can’t predict exactly what might happen.”

“Why do you do this every time?” Nero shook his head. “There is always room for error, you just have to make a big deal out of it.”

“They need to be aware of the risks.” Cid crossed his arms in frustration with his coworker.

“You take a risk getting out of bed every day, but you don’t see people sitting there first thing in the morning going over them in their heads.” Nero shot back.

Khaelen shook her head and smiled. “You two argue more than a married couple.”

Cid chuckled and Nero looked scandalized.

The tall Garlean fixed his eyes on Khaelen. “It’s a good thing I have grown tolerant of you.”

Khaelen smirked. “Face it, you like me.”

Nero smiled and shook his head. “I admit no such thing.”

“Sure you don’t. You have to keep that indifferent Garlean facade in place.”

Nero reached over and patted Khaelen on the head. “No, you are just too short for me to like.” His smiled widened when she scowled at him and swatted his hand away.

Cid tried not to roll his eyes. “And you two act like children around each other. Can we focus, Nero? This is time sensitive.”

Khaelen giggled. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

Nero watched her walk off. “Too bad she’s not Garlean.”

Cid cast a sideways glance at him. “It shouldn’t matter.”

“A lifetime of being told everyone but Garleans are savages won’t be undone in a few months.” Nero pretended to be comparing the readings.

Cid raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

~~~~~~

Thancred looked at the devices set on a table dubiously. “Not that I don’t trust Cid, but…”

“It’s simple. You attune to the device, your soul is stored there while I get you back to the Source. Once there a link is created to your body and you just follow it back.” The ninja smiled. “Simple.”

“Yes but what about me. I can’t manipulate aether.” Thancred picked up his device carefully.

“Right, Cid explained it to me, but I didn’t understand it all. I supply the aether and it should automatically well… suck you in for lack of a better phrase.”

“And my confidence is suddenly renewed.” He crossed his arms. “Well, lets get this over with.”

The Exarch stepped forward. “A moment my friends, before you leave. It truly was an honor working will all of you. You have done this star a great service that will never be forgotten.”

Alphinaud bowed “The honor was ours. We will never forget the friends we made during our time here.”

The Exarch smiled. “May you return home safe, my friends.” His crimson eyes fixed on Khaelen. “I will keep Elidibus under watch and keep you informed of any issues through our mutual fairy friend.

Khaelen nodded, her smile suddenly strained. “Thank you.” She looked at the other Scions. “Let’s do this.”

~~~~~

Krile had tried to keep Khaelen out of the room while Cid, Nero and herself worked on making sure the souls got back into the bodies. All she had managed was to keep her at the back of the room pacing. “That won’t make things go any faster.”

Khaelen frowned at the Lalafel. “I’m not leaving.”

Thancred’s device suddenly shut off. Khaelen stopped moving. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure.” Cid moved to pick up the device.

Nero grabbed Cid’s arm. “Give it a moment. His won’t work like the others, remember?”

The collective held breath was released moments later when Thancred stirred.

Thancred lifted his hand to his head. “Seven hells my head.”

Khaelen started to move to his bedside when Nero stepped in front of her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let Krile look him over first.”

Cid nodded. “He’s right, for once.”

“For once?” Nero looked offended. “It was I who came up with the theory that allowed us to make Thancred’s device.”

“You also made a minor calculation error.” Cid stepped over to Urianger as the auracite in his device started to glow brightly.

“It’s not my fault you can’t read my hand writing.” Nero took Khaelen by the arm and led her to a chair. “Sit, they should all start waking up soon.”

She sat down and looked up at Nero. “Thank you.” Her conversation with Y’shtola was coming back to her. After the whole thing with Omega she had come to regard him as a friend. An enemy turned friend. She shook her head knowing where this line of thought was taking her. She wouldn’t allow it.

“Something wrong?” Nero asked.

“No, no. My thoughts just keep running away with me is all.”

“I see.” Alisaie’s stone lit up and Nero headed over to it. “Don’t let them do that, you never know where they will end up.”

Khaelen smiled tightly. “Don’t I know it.”

A few hours later everyone was awake and chatting, much to Krile’s insistence that they all get some rest. Khaelen looked over all of her friends, finally back safe, and smiled.

~~~~~

Zenos let his cold gaze fall on his aunt. “What is it you want?”

Adria smiled. “I have a request of you. I need to send a reconnaissance team to the ruins of the Praetorium to fetch the core from the first Ultima weapon. I would ask that you lead them, in case that eikon-slayer of yours shows up.”

Zenos quirked an eyebrow. “In case? She will show, that is a given.”

“I say in case because the team is going to be small and should easily slip by those savage watchdogs posted around there.”

Zenos smiled slightly. “You are making the same mistake others have made. You underestimate her because she is a savage.”

Adria sighed. “I know full well what she is capable of. I have watched her destroy everything this family has built. I intend to take it all back. This Ultima weapon will make the original one Nero tol Scaeva built look like a child’s toy. With it we will take back what was ours and the rest of her precious Eorzea.”

“I will go, only because a dance if the eikon-slayer is inevitable. Anything else is purely on your men.”

“My dear nephew, your obsession with that girl is unhealthy. She almost killed you once. Quit playing with your prey before it rips your throat out.”

Zenos’s smile widened. “What good is having prey if you can’t play with it for a while?”

“Some times wonder what exactly those experiments did to you. I warned Varis not to let you take things so far.” She shook her head as if to rid it of bad memories. “I worry for you.”

“Do not feign concern in an attempt to manipulate me. We both know family means little around here until the throne is empty and then it only means the blood sport has begun.”

“And it will only continue when you have a wife and children of your own.”

Zenos looked truly amused. “I have no intention of having either.”

“It’s your duty Zenos. Your sons will continue the line and-”

Zenos turned to leave. “Send word when you are ready to send your men out.”

“Ignoring me will not change the facts.”

Zenos left, not acknowledging her last statement. A wife and children. Even if he desired such a thing he would never find a woman worthy of being his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A peak into Khaelen's mind. It's kinda a mess. And this is just the beginning.


	5. Power and Desire

Zenos propped his head up on his hand again, utterly bored. He planned on giving the eikon-slayer time enough to figure out how to bring her friends back before he attempted to test her again. _And this life continues like the last, mundane._ What he wouldn’t give for good sport to show up. The creature he had found a scant few days ago had proven a distraction, but was only momentary. He knew that only dancing that line between life and death with her again would give him the satisfaction he desired. He also had this strange need to see her, to speak with her, that he didn’t understand.

The sound of a broom moving across the floor brought him out of his thoughts. He swiveled the large metal chair around to face who ever it was.

The Hyur man stopped his sweeping briefly and glanced up. “My Lord, I didn’t mean to disturb.”

There was something familiar about this man, he was Doman, but that wasn’t it. “Why did you not return to your home with your kinsman?”

The man shrugged, still sweeping. He kept his head down. “I like the snow. Doma is too hot.”

“Look at me when I speak to you.”

The man started and looked up.

“Better.” Zenos leaned forward in his chair. “Do you not have family you wish to return to? Perhaps someone of import?”

“No, my lord. My family is dead and my friends are all here. As for someone of import…” He shrugged. “I fear there is no hope for me with that person.”

“Why do you believe that?”

The Doman adjusted the band that was holding his long black hair back. “Our worlds will forever orbit each other, never touching but only briefly.”

“Her station is above yours?”

The Hyur smiled. “One might say that. My little chick must always be free to do what she must.”

Zenos narrowed his eyes. “Would you not fight to be at her side?”

The broom stopped moving across the floor. “’Tis folly to pursue that which one will never have. It only leads to hurt and discontent. I am content to watch her from afar.”

“Contentment. Is that all we can hope for in this dismal world?” Zenos leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

The man started sweeping again. “Sometimes our fates with those around us are not tied as closely as we would like or our paths take us in different directions which cannot be helped.”

“So that is the truth of it. This little chick of yours has a different path.”

“Yes. That is the whole of it.”

“One more question and I will let you get back to your tasks. Calling her little chick, does she enjoy it?”

He smiled again. “Not in the least, but that is why I call her that. Its adorable when she is annoyed with me.”

“That makes no sense.”

“The reward of seeing her smile and her green eyes sparkle when I do it makes any annoyance she bares me worth it.”

Zenos started. “Green eyes?”

“Many a fair maid have green eyes, my lord.”

“I suppose you are correct. I have never bothered to notice. Carry on.” Zenos swiveled his chair back around. All he could see at that point was a pair of green eyes filled with hate directed at him.

“I have news, my lord.”

Zenos closed his eyes as the voice of the white robed man came from behind his chair. Perhaps this would bring him the distraction he craved.

“I have located the first avatar.” The white robe came into view on his left. “There are some ancient ruins in southern Thanalan. Many secrets are buried in the sand there.”

“Avatar? I was not aware I had to go through an intermediary.”

“Zodiark has no corporeal form, much like Hydaelyn. You will need His crystals much like the Warrior of Light has Hers.”

“How disappointing. I was looking forward to merging with another eikon. One would think that the fervor of the Ascieans would be enough to give Him form.”

“Zodiark and Hydaelyn are not like other eikions, given that they were the first.”

“Where is this in the desert?”

The man in white moved in front of the chair, only a smile visible under the hood. “It is in some ruins on the south eastern most point of the desert. They have never been found because they can only be accessed through an entrance on the cliff face. It is a hazardous climb. Loose your footing and the fall... Well needless to say many of an adventurer is not brave enough to try.”

“I am no adventurer. We will leave immediately.” Zenos started to get up.

“No, we must wait until Zodiark's power peaks in two day’s time. I also need to find a way to open the door. Brute force will cause the avatar to find another home. It is a safe guard against an unknowing trespassers.”

Zenos settled back in his chair. “Find this door. I will be waiting.”

The robed figure was silent for a moment. “You do not seem as keen on this sport as your were.”

“There is no sport in hunting down crystals.” Zenos looked up. “Subduing an eikon on the other hand, especially a powerful one, would be.”

“Be patient, my lord. You will have your greatest sport yet, with Hydaelyn’s champion. Is that not what you wanted?”

Zenos’s eyes flicked up briefly. “Indeed.”

Had the hood not been pulled down low, Zenos would have seen the figure’s eyes narrow slightly. “I will keep you apprised.” With that he vanished.

The Hyur smiled briefly and silently slipped out the door, disappearing into the shadows.

~~~~~~~~

Khaelen poked at the dirt in the planter she had set up on her new deck. The flowers she had started from seeds were now ready to be transplanted. She loved gardening and with her friends back she had been motivated to put the finishing touches on her yard. Her house was finally done and ready for her first party with them. She smiled. She was at peace for the first time in what felt like ages.

“So, the hero’s trusted companion likes to get her hands dirty.” A familiar voice broke through her peace.

Khaelen brushed her hands off on her apron. “Karasu.” She turned around and found herself wrapped in the other shinobi’s arms.

“Hello, my little chick.” He leaned in to kiss her and found two fingers pressed against his lips. He sighed dramatically. “You wound me.”

“You’re the one who slunk out in the middle of the night.” She returned the embrace.

“This hero’s work is never done.”

“You could have said good bye instead of just vanishing.”

“You looked so peaceful. The hero has never been good at good byes either.”

Khaelen put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “You better not be here to ask for my help faking your death to protect some hidden scrolls… again.”

“Ah, no. The scrolls are safely hidden. I am not sure, however, on how many more variations of bunny summoning I can come up with to throw them off track.”

Khaelen quirked an eyebrow.

“There are only so many ways to do it.” Karasu shrugged. “No I have some information you need to hear.” The ninja was suddenly serious.

Khaelen felt the peacefulness suddenly drop away. Karasu was never serious. “What is it?”

“Zenos is headed to the desert in southern Thanalan to find some avatar to get a crystal from. It sounds like he intends to gather the power of this Zodiark fellow.”

Khaelen felt the color drain from her face. “So it begins.”

“He’ll be there in two day’s time. You need to look for some sort of door along the cliff face to the south east.”

“Thank you, Karasu.”

He pulled her in close again, tighter this time, and placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Be careful, my little chick. He has an unhealthy obsession with you.”

Khaelen nodded finding comfort in his familiar embrace.

~~~~~~~~~~

She arrived in the desert just before the first morning bell of the day Karasu had told her Zenos would be there. Arwyn glided to a stop on the stone lip that was barely visible from the air. If it hadn’t been for the full moon out, she would have missed it. There was no door, at least not yet. Two crumbling sand stone pillars flanked the dark cave entrance. Khaelen slid off Arwyn’s back and started walking toward the entrance.

Arwyn whistled softly and flapped his wings. He didn’t want to go in there.

Khaelen rubbed his beak soothingly. “I know, head back to town, I’ll summon you if I need you.”

He made an unhappy disproving noise.

“I have to do this, you know that. I have to stop Zenos.”

In what could only be described as a resigned sigh, the chocobo took off, leaving her alone on the cliff face.

She headed into the cave, the dim light from her lantern casting long shadows along the smooth walls. It was a man made cave, that much was certain. The passage opened up into a large room. She still couldn’t find any door, the walls were still smooth and seamless.

A stone alter sat in the middle of the room. It was large enough for even an Elezen to lay on and be comfortable. There seemed to be a hollowed out area in the middle of it. She ran her fingers along the stone. A tickle of aether caused her fingers to tingle. She sighed. At least there wasn’t any signs of blood. She placed her hand palm down in the bowl like indentation. Was something needing to be placed there? Maybe filled with something? The alter pulsed once brightly, causing Khaelen to jump back. Tentatively she put her hand back. Nothing happened. No secret door opened, no pulse of light or tingle of aether. All was still.

The ninja shook her head and lifted her lantern to see if she could find a good spot to stay hidden until Zenos arrived. A promising alcove created by some rubble and boulders looked good. Khaelen settled herself down in the shadows to wait.

Zenos landed lightly on the lip to the cave entrance and unfastened the rope from his climbing harness. The robed man’s directions had been accurate. He had also asked Zenos to hold off going, the secret to opening the door still eluded him.

“A door, yet all I see is a cave entrance.” He noted nothing remarkable about the crumbling pillars as he passed by, lantern in hand.

Zenos set the lantern down on the corner of the alter and looked around. No wonder the robed man had insisted he wait. Other than this and the rubble around there was nothing in the room, not even a door. Zenos put his hand in the indentation of the alter. They had to be missing an artifact of some sort. The alter pulsed with light and Zeno’s hand tingled. “How odd.”

Zenos drew his hand back and rested it on the hilt of his sword. “You came.” He smiled.

“I have to stop you, Zenos. You know this.” Khaelen stepped out of the shadows.

“How did you come to know about this place?” He turned to face her.

“I’m Hydaelyn’s chosen, what do you think?” Khaelen slowly moved away from her hiding area to give herself more room to maneuver.

“Yes, of course She would tell you.” He moved closer to her, feeling his heart start to race in anticipation of their inevitable fight. “Was the information I gave you helpful in retrieving your companions?”

“It was.” Khaelen to a step to her side to keep the distance between them.

Zenos’s eyes searched her face. She wasn’t afraid of him, yet why wouldn’t she let him get close? “I can assume then you are my beast once more and not a viper?”

“What’s the difference? They will both kill you.”

“A beast will provide sport, a viper just lashes out.”

Khaelen rolled her eyes. “I should have know.”

He took a step toward her, she moved away. “Upon our reunion you showed none of this timidness.”

“Upon our reunion there was more room to move around.”

“Ah, I see now.” He grinned.

“I warned you Zenos, I will stop you.”

“So you did, in no uncertain terms.” He slid his sword out a fraction.

Khaelen’s daggers were in her hands in a flash. “If you do this, there is no going back, Zenos. Don’t let them use you.”

His lips settled in a smirk. “You think it is they who are using me?”

“Using you, manipulating you.” Khaelen fell into a ready stance. “They are deceivers. They offer you aid while planning on stabbing you in the back the second it is turned.”

Zenos drew his sword and studied it for a moment. “I will take the power they are offering and then we shall dance, till the end of days, to the music our weapons provide.”

“Gods, Zenos, you are so singularly focused its obnoxious.” Anger and frustration tinged the ninja’s voice. “So be it.”

Zenos barely had time to register she had moved when the first blows landed, staggering him. A laugh of pure joy escaped his lips. “Yes, this is what I have been waiting for!” She had grown in strength tenfold since their last fight, he found himself hard pressed to keep her off him. And that was when her shadow hit him, literally. “Well, that’s new.”

“I have a lot of new tricks.”

He maneuvered her, forcing her up on the alter, her face only a few ilms from his. His blue eyes locked with her green ones. “I want to see them all.” He murmured, his voice low and husky.

His voice slid like dark silk over her skin leaving goose pimples in its wake. She pushed against him and flipped away. “Hells, Zenos, what did you just do?”

“Do? I did nothing.” He noticed the unsettled look on her face and smirked. “Perhaps I have gleaned something new from the avatar unwittingly.”

The word avatar hung like a physical presence in the room suddenly. Khaelen ignored it as another trick of his voice and lunged at him again, only to hit the wall behind her with such force in knocked the air from her lungs. She tried to move and found herself stuck. “Damn it.” Much to her surprise, Zenos moved in front of her, standing over her protectively.

“Who dares interrupt us?” He demanded.

Even though the room was cast mostly in shadows, a mist darker than anything dreamed possible appeared, vaguely humanoid in form. Purple sparks flashed randomly through out it. “You have summoned me, an avatar of Zodiark.”

Zenos put his sword away, smiling slightly. “I see. I have come for your crystal.”

“Zenos, No, don’t do this!” Khaelen pleaded, struggling against the force holding her down.

The mist floated closer. “You will be silent, child of Hydaelyn. You may stay, but you will be silent.”

Zenos knelt down beside Khaelen, tilting her chin up so he could look in her eyes again. He lightly stroked her cheek with his thumb, the leather sliding easily over her dark iridescent scales. “Seems you will get to witness me claiming my power after all.” He could see the hate, the loathing build up in her eyes.

“Zenos-”

“Silence!”

Khaelen tried to draw in a breath but it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Zenos stood up. “Enough, there is no point in me obtaining your power if you destroy the one I am to use it on.”

The mist made a noise almost like a chuckle. “So be it.”

A white robed figure walked into the room. “My lord, you managed to open the door?” He glanced at the mist. “The avatar! You must implore it for the crystal while Zodiark’s power is still at full! And you have brought the Warrior of Light low.” He smirked.

Khaelen glared at the figure, not attempting to speak.

The mist floated over to the figure. “You are not needed, acolyte.”

“Wait! What-?” suddenly the figure vanished.

“The crystal.” Zenos’s eyes followed the mist.

“You desire power?”

“I do, it is the only thing worth having.”

“And yet you gave up an empire. Was that not enough power for you?”

“I never wished to rule. That is more akin to ambition than true, raw power.” Zenos’s eyes narrowed.

“I see. You know the difference between the two, but do you know the distinction between want and desire?”

“I tire of your word play. The crystal.”

“I was warned of your arrogance.” The mist floated back over to Khaelen. “How thoughtless of Hydaelyn to thrust her power on you. “You never wanted nor desired it.” It’s tone was almost sympathetic. “You were tricked the moment you picked up that first crystal.”

Zenos watched as the truth of the avatar’s words crossed her face. “Allow her to speak to my question. Did you truly not wish Her blessing?” He knelt back down beside her.

The mist backed away. “She may, but keep to the question.”

“It has caused me no end of pain.”

Zenos brushed the single tear that ran down her cheek with his thumb, mindful of the metal claws that tipped his steel and leather gauntlet. “I see.”

The avatar floated next to Zenos. “Power comes at a price and does not always lead to the happiness one seeks.”

Zenos stood up. “It is not happiness I seek.”

“So be it.” The mist went to the wall next to Khaelen. “Everything you desire is in the next room.” Another archway opened up.

At the same time Khaelen could suddenly move and she dashed into the room a head of Zenos. If she could just get to the crystal before him. A stone box sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room. There! She ran to it only to run into some sort of electrified shield around it. It zapped her enough to hurt but not do any damage.

Zenos was standing in the door. “That is for me alone.”

“Zenos, don’t.” Khaelen reached for her daggers and to her dismay, they weren’t there.

He held them up “Looking for these? You dropped them in your haste.” He walked over to her and held them out to her.

She grabbed a hold of them and glared up at him.

He placed his other hand over hers. “It is over now.”

“No, its not.” Her voice was a harsh whisper. “It’s only just begun.”

He smirked at her before stepping around her to the pedestal. “On that we can agree then.” He lifted the lid up to reach in. He found nothing. The box sat empty.

Khaelen stood there, waiting for the gloating and promises of a great hunt to begin and she was met with silence. “Zenos?” She turned around. He looked pale, his expression unreadable. “What was in the box?”

“Nothing, it was empty.” His voice held a hint of shock to it.

Khaelen peered into it. It was barren. “I suppose this means you truly do desire to be nothingness, to be dead.”

His eyes flicked over to her again briefly before returning to the box. She could have sworn she saw that momentary flash of pain she had seen last time she spoke to him harshly. “Zenos,” She rested her hand on his arm lightly. “Are you alright?”

“Careful, or I might be forced to believe you don’t hate me as much as you say.” His voice was laced with bitterness.

Khaelen sighed and dropped her arm. “I never said I hated you Zenos. I’m angry, no down right pissed at you, but I don’t hate you.” She sounded tired, even to herself.

“In order to be angry with someone you have to care.”

Khaelen stopped partway to the arch. “You're right, you do.” Aether swirled around her, whisking her back to the Rising Stones.

Zenos replaced the lid on the box and left the cave, not looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and post regularly. We will see how that works with my work scheduled.


	6. No Clues Left Behind

Khaelen tapped her foot impatiently waiting for Krile to let the rest of the Scions out of their respective beds and into the Solar. The next crisis had reared its head and her friends were still being kept under the watchful eye of the diminutive Lalafel.

The door opened up and they filed into the room, dressed in normal clothes instead of the linen tunics and pants they had been in.

“Thank the Twelve,” Khaelen murmured in relief, hugging each in turn. The only one who didn’t hug her back was Urianger who patted her awkwardly on the head.

“I’m not sure how much longer I could have stayed a bed.” Y’shtola stretched her arms above her head. She watched Khaelen walk back and forth across the floor. “Since when do you pace?”

Khaelen stopped eliciting a chuckle from Thancred. “Apparently she’s picked up a new habit.”

“Pray thee, please tell us what has thee so uneasy.” Urianger gently grabbed her upper arm to stop her from moving so much. It was causing him disquiet to see her in such a state. She was usually so calm.

She stopped moving but pulled out a dagger and started flipping it.

“If I wanted any of my old habits to rub off on you, that isn’t one of them.” Thancred snatched the dagger while it was in the air and handed it back to her. “Khaelen, what is going on?”

Khaelen returned the knife to her hip and sighed. “Zenos is most defiantly going after Zodiark or at least crystals similar to mine that are hidden around.”

“He told you this?” Y’shtola raised an eyebrow.

“No Karasu did. He overheard Zenos talking to someone about it. The information was good, Zenos didn’t get the first crystal. I have no idea where it ended up though.” Khaelen’s hand went for her dagger again. She froze when Thancred crossed his arms and fixed her with a disproving look.

“Isn’t that the fellow Yugiri threatened to cut the fingers off of if he came near you again?” Thancred asked.

Alisaie shook her head. “It wasn’t his fingers she threatened to cut off.”

“Yes well I prefer not to dwell on what she actually said as I am sure none of the other gentlemen in the room do either.” Thancred shifted uncomfortably.

Alphinaud cleared his throat. “Yes well. It would probably be a good idea to look the place over where the crystal had been. Perhaps we can find a clue to where another is or where the one there has gone. Krile, Urianger and I will go with Khaelen to inspect the area.”

“That’s all fine and good, brother, if you want to heal something to death.” Alisaie smirked.

“I’ll have you know I can do more than heal!”

Y’shtola shook her head. “I’ll go too.”

“And I’ll sit here, twiddling my thumbs.” Thancred sounded annoyed.

Y’shtola pointed the tip of her staff at his chest. “You need to relearn how to use a gunblade, if that’s what you still wish to use. Your mind knows how to use one, however your body is a stranger to it.”

“That is going to prove difficult given I don’t have a gunblade.”

Khaelen walked around behind the desk and pulled a brown paper wrapped parcel from behind it. “I did think of that.” She handed it to Thancred.

He tore off the paper and smiled at what was inside. One of the highest quality gunblades of Garlean make he had ever seen was within. “How did you get your hands this?”

“Thank Gaius. He smuggled it out of Garlemald for me.” Khaelen smiled. “Like it?”

Thancred hefted the weapon experimentally grinning from ear to ear. “Very much so.”

Alisaie eyed the gunblade. “I suppose that leaves us to spar while you are gone.”

“Let me grab the climbing gear and we’ll be off.” Khaelen headed to the door.

“Climbing gear?” Alphinaud looked pale.

“Yes, we have to repel about a malm down the cliff face.”

“You don’t have that fancy flying car anymore?” Alphinaud fidgeted with his tie.

“It’s too big to land on the ledge.” Khaelen couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the young Elezen’s expression.

Alisaie smiled deviously at her brother. “Still want to go?”

Alphinaud straightened his back. “Of course I do, I excel at climbing.”

“You do,” Alisaie agreed. “As long as its a ladder to the top shelf to get a book.”

Alphinaud gave his sister a withering look.

“I believe mine talents would be better tasked to research here, on the ground.” Urianger looked uncomfortable.

Khaelen looked over at Alisaie. “Are you sure the three of you aren’t blood relatives?”

“Given Urianger has been around since we were very young it stands to reason my brother would have picked up some of his...eccentricities.”

Khaelen shook her head, smiling. “Let’s go, we are loosing daylight.”

When Urianger hesitated, Thancred prodded him in the back with his gunblade. “Well, go on, our brave leader has spoken.”

“Indeed,” was the astrologin’s reply as he reluctantly followed the others out the door of the Solar.

~~~~~~

Krile opened her eyes once her feet hit the ground. Khaelen had her securely fastened into her harness, but that hadn’t kept her from closing her eyes on the way down. She was going to kill Alphinaud for volunteering her for this. Tentatively she peered over the edge and backed up swiftly. She couldn’t even see the ground below. “Might I suggest we make haste into the cave?”

Khaelen glanced over at Y’shtola who shrugged.

Alphinaud and Urianger had both moved to the entrance as quickly as possible after they remembered to unfasten their ropes.

Krile stopped to inspect the pillars. She pulled a brush out of her pack and swept some sand away from them. “Hmm. Nothing to indicate who built them. They are pretty unremarkable and bare no hallmarks of any civilization I am familiar with.”

The others pulled out lanterns and lit them cautiously entering the man made cave. Slowly they made their way to the main room, stopping every so often to let Krile inspect things for clues as to who built it.

The alter still stood in the middle of the room and the archway was still open, just as she had left it, but there was a distinct emptiness to the place now. “It feels different, like what ever was existing here is gone now.”

“It would have had no reason to linger after fulfilling its duties.” Y’shtola held her lantern above the alter. “What was this for?”

“I honestly don’t know. When I touched it I could feel aether coming off it, then it flashed and that was it. The same thing happened when Zenos touched it.” Khaelen pointed to the bowl like indentation. “That’s where we both placed our hands.”

Y’shtola placed her hand in the same spot, nothing happening. “There are faint traces of aether lingering.”

Krile held her arms up. “Someone give me a boost. Perhaps it reacts to the Echo and Zenos’s resonate.”

Urianger picked her up. She placed her hand in the indentation. Again, nothing happened. “Perhaps its energy is spent.”

“Maybe, but it didn’t react a second time to me either.”

Urianger set her back down on the floor. The Lalafel crouched by the base and started brushing sand away from it humming softly as she worked.

Khaelen beckoned to the others. “The box the crystal should have been in is in here.”

Urianger inspected the pedestal and box. “Tis carved of one solid stone.”

Y’shtola’s eyes scanned it swiftly. “Some aether clings to it, same as the alter.” She glanced at Khaelen. “And you are sure there was nothing in it?”

“Yes. There was a distinct lack of gloating on Zenos’s part when he opened it.”

“Given the man is disinclined to act, I’m going to take his reaction at face value.” Alphinaud was inspecting the lid. “Is everything in here so unblemished?”

Urianger nodded.

“Guys! I found something!” Krile called from the other room.

They hurried to her side.

“There is some writing down here.” The Lalafel pointed to it with the handle of her brush. “Fill to brimming, thy truest desires revealed.”

Y’shtola tapped her lip thoughtfully. “To brimming… with aether perhaps?”

Krile shook her head. “Garleans can’t use aether.”

“We don’t know what Zenos is capable of anymore.” Khaelen crossed her arms. “Between the resonate and having an Ascian possess his body, there is no telling.”

“Fare point.” Alphinaud looked to the other room. “Tell us exactly what happened.”

“That avatar showed up and pinned me to the wall by the archway. It knew I carried Hydaelyn’s blessing. A white robed figure ran in. I don’t think it was an Ascian. The avatar called him acolyte. Then made him vanish.”

Both of Urianger’s eyebrows shot up. “Unukalhai.”

“Wait, what?” Khaelen’s eyes widened. “But wasn’t he just a child?”

“Time be not linear, thou knowest this well.”

“And when asked if he was our enemy he did say not yet or something along those lines at any rate.” Khaelen shook her head. “I’m getting really tired of mysterious robed figures. Anyway, once Zenos had convinced the avatar he wanted the crystal the archway appeared and I was freed. I ran in a head of Zenos to get and destroy the crystal. A barrier was around it and I couldn’t get to the box.”

“But Zenos was able to, yet it was empty.” Y’shtola tilted her head to one side.

Alphinaud faced Khaelen. “What was the one thing you desired when you went into the room?”

Khaelen frowned at Alphinaud. “Stopping Zenos, of course.”

Krile looked up from where she was still sweeping sand away from the alter. “You don’t think?”

“That Khaelen’s desire was granted first because she managed to get into the room a head of Zenos.” Alphinaud nodded.

“Why would the avatar of Zodiark grant me my desire? Wouldn’t that fly in the face of what is supposed to happen? Besides, the entire time it was addressing Zenos, not me. If I spoke without it's permission it tried to smother me.”

“If you both filled the alter to brimming. It probably had no choice.” Y’shtola was inspecting the alter again.

“That’s if the two are related at all.” Khaelen pinched the bridge of her nose. “Seems like all I managed was to postpone the inevitable then. Any clue where to look next, Krile?”

The Lalafel stood, placing her hands on her hips. “None. There isn’t so much as a scratch on anything else here. No tool marks, nothing.”

Khaelen sighed in frustration. “Time to hit the books then.”

Y’shtola placed her hand on Khaelen’s shoulder and squeezed encouragingly. “Indeed.”

~~~~~~~~

The man in the white robes appeared suddenly on all fours in front of Zeno’s chair, gasping for air. “My lord!”

Zenos leaned forward. “Your information was faulty.”

“My lord?”

“There was no crystal.”

“Impossible! Unless the Warrior of Light’s presence caused it to be move to a place of safety.”

“It was in no danger from the eikon-slayer. The avatar wanted her there.”

The figure stood up. “It did or you did?”

Blue eyes bored into the mostly obscured face. “It made you vanish did it not?”

He wisely said nothing further on that subject. “How did you manage to get past the doors?”

“What doors?”

The figure seemed puzzled. “There was a set of doors at the entrance when I first located it, flanked by pillars. When I followed you there the doors were gone.”

“The eikon-slayer must have figured it out then. There were none when I arrived.”

“She was there when you arrived? Are you sure she didn’t do something to the crystal?”

Zenos leaned menacingly closer. “There was no crystal in the room the avatar opened for me.”

The robed figure backed up a fraction of an ilm. “I see.”

“Leave and do not return until you have something reliable to tell me.”

“Yes, my lord.” He vanished.

Zenos closed his eyes, the disquiet in his mind refusing to fade. Never had this been an issue. His mind had always been so clear, silent.

The doors to his office opened with a swish. Zenos tried not to sigh. Even with his thoughts jumbled, he wished to be alone with them. For the sake of whom ever this was, they better not be a messenger from his aunt. He had deliberately left his linkpearl in a drawer back at his personal quarters.

“My lord, I have news.”

Zenos immediately recognized the voice of the soldier who was feeding him information on his aunt’s plans. “Speak.”

“She plans on sending a fully automated unit to Ghimlyt within the next two days.”

Zenos swiveled his chair around. “To what end?”

She saluted the moment the chair faced her. “She wants to test a new prototype walker.”

“As if we don’t have enough of those already.”

“This one is carrying a different type of payload, sir.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“No sir. No one does.”

“Are they being kept with the new Ultima prototypes?”

“No sir, and as far as I can determine she has a separate team working on the walkers.”

“Interesting. Keep me apprised of when she is sending out this unit. Dismissed.”

The soldier saluted again and left the room.

Zenos’s eyebrows drew together. What was his aunt up to now.


	7. New Issues From an Old Enemy

Khaelen pushed a dried rolanberry around on her plate, her chin resting on the palm of her other hand. A slight frown was the only indication of what she might be thinking about.

Y’shtola slowly chewed a bite of her salad contemplating her companions mood. Tataru had given her a brief run down of what had been going on with Khaelen the past few months. She didn’t like what she was hearing. Tataru’s hope had been that after they awoke the Auri would be more herself. Y’shtola looked at the mostly untouched salad in front of Khaelen and tried not to sigh. “Unless you have a new ability that allows you to absorb nutrients from the air, you need to eat.”

Khaelen pushed the berry around some more. “I am eating.”

“Pushing a berry around your plate is not eating. Taking two bites of your food is not eating. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed the weight loss. You need to eat. I will confine you to a bed in the back until you eat if I have to.”

“I’m the Warrior of Light, you don’t have that option. I don’t have that option.” Khaelen sat her fork down.

“Some use you will be if you pass out on the field because you haven’t eaten. We would have to cope one way or the other and I would prefer not to see Estinien jump in and pull you out of the middle of a fight just because you refuse to eat.” Y’shtola nudged the plate closer to the other woman. “Eat.”

“I’m not hungry. I’m never hungry.”

“Hungry or not, you are going to eat.”

Khaelen’s linkpearl chimed at that moment, much to her relief. She didn’t really need Y’shtola being motherly right now. “I’m here.”

Y’shtola shook her head.

Khaelen scowled. “Well, at least it wasn’t another body over the wall. We will go as soon as we can.” She pushed her chair away from the table. “Time to go. Zenos wants another meeting, this time in the Burn.”

“Food first. You will need your strength if you are to face him in combat.”

“There isn’t time. I’ll be fine. I feel fine.”

Her chair slid back to the table. “Don’t think I couldn’t hear your conversation from the bar,” Thancred held the chair in place, knowing if the ninja really wanted to she could just shove him out of the way.

Soon Alphinaud and Alisaie were also standing over the table, the former with her arms crossed glaring at her friend.

“Urianger would be here too, but he has his nose in a book. So imagine him standing here as well looking all...Urianger-ish” Alisaie pulled a chair out and sat down. “It would seem you are out numbered.”

Khaelen sighed. “All right all right, I’m eating. You don’t have to gang up on me.”

She finished her meal under the watchful eye of her companions.

~~~~

The sun reflected blindingly off the white ash as they trudged to the large plateau that they were to meet Zenos at. Why he wanted to meet in such an out of the way place was beyond her.

Khaelen watched a giant worm surface then burrow back into the ground in the distance. “I guess we wait for him to make his grand entrance.”

Thancred rested his gunblade against his shoulder. “Lyse didn’t say what he wanted?”

“He only ever demands a meeting but never says why. Though, predictably, its usually a fight. The first time he tossed a corpse over the wall with a note pinned to it. This time he used some poor girl to deliver it by hand.” Khaelen held up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she scanned the sky. “Needless to say Lyse is getting tired of his notes. If it was anyone else I’d say he was picking on her.”

Alphinaud coughed as the wind kicked some ash up into his face. “We know our linkpearls are useless here. This is where I lost contact with you. Caution would be prudent.”

“There.” Alisaie pointed her finger at a figure in the distance.

The heat wavering off the ash obscured the figure mostly, but the size and the red of the armor were unmistakable. Khaelen drew her daggers. “Watch for worms and other things creeping about up here, but leave Zenos to me.”

Alisaie watched as Zenos approached, his hand resting nonchalantly on his sword revolver. “Be careful, Khaelen. We don’t know what he plans to do.”

“I know what I plan on doing, that’s all that matters.” Khaelen vanished reappearing a few fulms away from him.

Zenos drew his sword when she vanished, anticipating an attack the moment she reappeared.

She smirked at him when she reappeared, then vanished again.

Zenos sensed the attack coming from his rear and deflected it cleanly with Ame-no-Habakiri. “I had thought we might speak, but this will be more entertaining.” He turned to face her.

“I hate how you can do that.” Khaelen grumbled, pressing her attack.

Zenos motioned vaguely to his third eye. “I do have an advantage.” He kicked Khaelen firmly in the chest as she flew at him once more, sending her skidding backwards in the ash.

The ash settled around her, leaving her covered in a fine film of grit. Rushing him was getting her no where. She made a series of swipes with her daggers, all of which he blocked easily, but allowed her to get closer to him.

“Come, now, you can do better than that.” He goaded. He went to strike at her when she suddenly jumped straight up in the air and brought her fist straight down at his forehead, He was able to turn enough that the blow didn’t land directly on his third eye, but it was still enough to stagger him.

Khaelen followed up with a hard kick to his jaw, keeping him off balance enough for her to sweep his legs out from under him.

Zenos landed on his back, the distant thought of this being the last time he faced her with out his helm on foremost in his mind. His head was spinning and the ash kicked up was disorienting him on top of it. She had discerned a weakness and exploited it, how unlike her. He grinned as he felt her weight settle on his chest and a dagger being pressed to his neck. He had been disarmed at some point, but that didn’t matter. She was so tiny, practically a wisp of a woman, yet so strong. Powerful. She wasn’t the only one who could exploit a weakness though. He made a move to throw the much smaller woman off of him.

The subtle shift in the Garlean’s weight alerted her to his intentions. She quickly palmed his head and slammed it violently into the unyielding rock beneath them. “Did you think you were the first person bigger than me that I’ve had pinned like this? I’ve had to learn to adapt in a world where my size is a disadvantage.”

“My mistake.” Zenos rested his hands on her hips as if that would stop the world from spinning. His head hitting the rock under the ash had almost knocked him out. That was a first. He blinked a few times before locking his eyes with hers. “The first time we spoke after your return you threatened to end me. Do it, or have you lost your resolve?”

“My resolve is firmly in place. You said you wanted to talk, so speak. Consider them your last words.”

He smirked. “How poetic. There will be an attack at Ghimlyt in the next few days. It will be made purely of magitek troops.” Her hand was still over his face, waiting for him to so much as twitch a muscle, but he could still see her face and the scowl now on it.

“What is it with you people? What is it they hope to gain from this? Are your ranks so thinned by the war of succession that you can’t send people? Not that sending only machina is a bad thing.”

Zenos started to shrug then thought better of it. He really didn’t want his head to connect again with the ground again. “I cannot give you an answer to that. There will be a new type, with an unknown payload.”

Khaelen frowned. “Black rose?”

“Perhaps, but with the damage your companions were able to inflict to the processing plants and my father’s untimely death, its unlikely.”

“You mean the murder at your own hands.” Khaelen sighed. “It would, however, explain the lack of living troops being sent along.”

Zenos subconsciously tightened his grip on her hips. “Then caution should be used.”

The look on Zenos’s face was almost imploring. Khaelen blinked, thinking it a trick of her mind. Maybe her friends were right. She hadn’t eaten enough lately. There was no way the man pinned underneath her would be concerned, ever, about anybody. He was to cold, to arrogant for that.

He smirked and tilted his head leaving his neck more exposed. “So, what is it to be eikon-slayer?”

Khaelen’s hand dropped to the neck of his armor. The scar from when he had slit his throat was visible. Faint, but it was there.

Zenos watched as her eyes travel from his ear and across his neck, across his jugular, the same path her dagger would have to make. He frowned a bit as her eyes lost their focus as if some unknown scene was playing in her mind. Only he knew what this scene was. He felt the dagger shake, biting into his skin. That look, he knew what was going on now, what was happening to her. He could have tossed her aside while this happened, and he probably should have. His hand started to reach for her arm, to what end he wasn’t sure.

His movement brought her back from the memory that played it out in her mind. She quickly shoved his head back into the ground. “Don’t.”

Zenos winced. That spot was going to smart for a few days. “You hesitate.”

“I’m not hesitating. You lost the first crystal. This means you still have a chance to give up this mad quest for Zodiark’s power.”

“Is that a chance that you are willing to take, or is it that you cannot bring yourself to kill me in a manner so close to that I used on myself?”

Khaelen slammed his head into the unforgiving ground again harder this time. “Shut up.” She got to her feet and took a couple of steps away from him. “This is your last chance.”

Zenos didn’t open his eyes this time, he was pretty sure if he did he would pass out. The pain shooting in his head was enough that thinking hurt. “Inability disguised as mercy.”

Zenos knew she was gone, he felt her sudden absence keenly. He tried to sit up, but when the world started spinning out of control he decided against it. Head injuries were brutal, even for him. With as hard as she was slamming his head into the ground, he probably had a concussion. Seeing a medica when he got back might be prudent. Her actions were a stark contrast to the ones she took in Ala Mhigo. She had wanted to talk, avoid the violence he had pushed her to. Now her actions were out of anger. The sound of foot steps approaching caused him to risk opening an eye. The Elezen girl knelt down at his side. Brave girl, perhaps even foolish.

“I can’t do much.” She held her hands over him briefly. They glowed softly “Consider this a thank you for your help returning us home.” She stood and wisely took a few steps away from him.

The pain receded enough he could open both eyes and prop himself up on his elbow. “Watch her, lest her demons consume her.”

Alisaie smiled tightly. “We know.”

“I don’t think you do. I have seen this happen to many a soldier and it never ended well for them.”

“She has her friends to support her. She will get through this.”

“Do you even know what ‘this’ is? Mark my words, you have not seen the worst of it.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I came to aid you a bit in thanks, not get a lecture on my friend’s mental state.”

“So be it.” He started to get up.

“Alisaie, it’s time to go… _now.”_ Thancred called out still not believing he had let her carry out her insane idea. She wanted to heal the bastard for some reason. To say thank you she had reasoned, but she had been afraid. Like the rest of them watching as Khaelen attempted to bash his head in with her bare hands, she was afraid. When Zenos failed to get back up, she had refused to stay put. He shook his head. Maybe even a monster deserved some compassion at times.

The Elezen cast one more look in Zenos’s direction before hurrying off.

~~~

A few days later the request for aid was made of the Scions to head to Ghimlyt because a force of magitek machines had arrived.

Thancred observed the battle from their vantage point on one of the hills. “Looks like he was right. Yet I don’t see him.”

“You don’t think this is a good thing?” Hien asked. He and Yugiri had enough time to make it to their sides when the call went out. He wanted to see what this new weapon was. That, and he was bored. Doma was more or less back on its feet and he had found himself with time on his hands as of late.

“I don’t see anything that resembles the Ultima weapon.” Estinien had landed quietly on the other side of Thancred.

“That’s good. Though I have to agree with Khaelen on her concern that we may be looking at an attack using the black rose. An unknown payload was vague and suitably ominous at the same time.” A drone flew too close to the group and Alphinaud sent his carbuncle after it. “Do you think it was wise bringing Khaelen here after what we were told on the First?”

“We brought the darkness back to the First.” Alisaie glanced at her brother. “Wasn’t that the point?”

“The point, dear sister, was to prevent a calamity. By which we did by restoring the night skies. However, that doesn’t mean the black rose is no longer a threat to our lives.”

“We also took out their production plants. If they have any it’s in limited quantities.” Estinien crossed his arms and shook his head. “We got them all.”

“We should use caution, however. If there is any sign that the black rose is being used we need to get people to safety. And on that note, it looks like people could use our help with that colossus out there. Shall we join the fray?” Thancred pointed his gunblade at the massive armor that was firing on a group of soldiers.

A craft buzzed by them, making the ground shake. Thancred recognized the ship. “Looks like I spoke too soon. On your toes, Zenos decided to join after all.”

“Looks like I didn’t hit him in the head hard enough. I’ll take care of him.” 

Alphinaud shook his head. “He’s not landed yet and there are people who need our help. If you chase his ship, you might be playing into his hands and let the magitek cause more casualties.”

Khaelen scanned the skies. Alphinaud was correct. Zenos seemed to be circling the battlefield. “Alright, fine. I won’t take the bait.”

They headed down the hill to join their comrades in the fight.

~~~

Y’shtola’s attack felled another vanguard adding it to the growing heap of scrap on the field. “Is that all of them?”

Khaelen looked around. “I think so.” Her eyes scanned the sky, catching sight of Zenos’s craft. “He’s landing.”

“Now? After all the fighting? And what of this new payload he was talking about?” Alisaie put her rapier back on her hip. “There was nothing new here.”

A drop ship flanked by two gunships flew in. The drop ship landed and a hatch opened up. Four small magitek machines walked out on pointed legs followed by another one of a larger size. The body of each was a large, flattened rectangle. No discernible weapons were visible on the outside.

"What's that old saying, speak and ye shall find?" Thancred glanced at Alisaie who just shrugged.

Urianger jogged up to them from where he had been aiding some wounded. “The new payload?”

“I don’t see turrets or guns.” Thancred motioned to the nearest allied commander. “Start getting everyone off the field.”

“I hope that doesn’t include us.” Y’shtola held her staff out in front of her.

“Of course not. We need to destroy those things.” With out warning Thancred charged the nearest of the new machines. The gunships opened fire on him causing him to fall back. “Well, that’s a problem.”

“You honestly didn’t think those things were just for show did you?” Alisaie drew her sword again. “Y’shtola and I can handle them.”

Khaelen narrowed her eyes. “He’s just standing there.”

“Khaelen. Do you think you can get the big one? Those little ones shouldn’t be an issue.” Thancred studied her expression for a moment. “Khaelen?”

“I think the time for dividing up who is doing what has passed. Would seem we have a problem.” Hien pointed his katana at where the machina had gone.

They had dropped to the ground, the legs folding up into the bodies. A panel on each slid open with a hiss. A line of purple light shot up from them.

Y’shtola gasped. “They are opening portals to the void.”

“This is bad.” Alisaie sent a bolt at one to prevent it from opening up the portal. The energy bounced off a shield harmlessly.

Vodoriga started to pour from the open rifts. Two of the voidsent made their way out before one of the machines died. The other three were still open and the large one had yet to open.

“We leave the voidsent to you while we take out those gunships.” Y’shtola unleashed an attack on one of them.

The gunships fell minutes later in a ball of fire. The vodoriga had stopped coming through all but one of the portals. Khaelen was fighting through some of the stragglers when the large one finally opened up. A large ogre stepped out and bellowed. It was easily four yalms tall. Spikes covered its shoulders and thick upper arms. It’s hands were tipped in sharp claws. Festering pustules covered its’ yellowed skin.

“I’ve got him, you guys finish with these things then-” Khaelen stopped suddenly when another of the small machines exited the drop ship. “Great, okay. I have the big guy.” She headed off toward the ogre.

“Not to be an alarmist, but why is Zenos rushing down now of all times?” Alisaie cleanly stabbed one of the vodoriga causing it to crumple into a heap.

Thancred looked back over his shoulder. “He’s headed to Khaelen.”

“Stop!”Zenos yelled. “Do not engage!”

They watched him as he ran to close the gap between him and their friend, puzzled.

Yugiri made a move to rush to the other shinobi’s side.

Zenos noticed the other Au Ra starting to head to the fight. “Keep her back!”

Hien stepped in front of the ninja. “Yugiri, stop. I don’t know what is going on, but if something about that thing has him of all people yelling orders at us; there is reason to hold back.”

Yugiri halted. “We can’t just leave her to fight both of them.”

Hien placed his hands on the woman’s shoulders. “He obviously knows something we don’t. Let this play out a few more moments before rushing in. If he does attack her, she doesn’t need to worry about what he will do to us on top of the ogre.”

Yugiri’s shoulders slumped a bit in resignation. “Yes, my lord.”

“Khaelen! Stop! Do not go any closer to it.” Zenos ran forward at top speed. He wasn’t going to get to her in time. With all of his enhanced abilities, he still was not going to make it.

“Did he…? Did he just use her name?” Alphinaud lowered his book slightly.

Hien pulled his katana free from the corpse of a vodoriga that had rushed them from nowhere. “It’s the alarm in his voice that has me concerned my friend.”

Khaelen didn’t bother to acknowledge the voice calling for her to stop. Her first two attacks bit deeply into the skin almost to bone, causing blood and pus to spray. The smell made her want to retch but she remained resolute in her attacks. She spun out of the way of its large clawed hand swiping at her, it’s claws barely grazing her skin. She didn’t pause long enough to note that it had broken skin.

“No!” Zenos pushed himself even harder when he saw the claws leave tiny pricks of blood in their wake.

“Oh no.” Alisaie gasped when she saw Khaelen’s next attack falter.

Her friends watched in horror as her attack went wide and she fell to her knees then collapsed. A long wickedly sharp looking blade sprung from the ogre’s wrist. It bellowed before bringing it down to stab at the fallen shinobi. They broke into a run to try and get to their friend’s side, but they knew they would never get there in time.

Zenos slid in between the monster and Khaelen using Ame-no-Habakiri to turn the wrist blade aside and knocking it back a fulm. “Get her out of here!”

The spikes on the voidsent started to quiver before they shot out of the creature.

Zenos turned so that he could use his body to prevent the spikes from landing on Khaelen’s pron form. “Now!” He hissed in pain as one of the projectiles found its way between his pauldrons and cuirass in the back.

Estinien leapt into the air and landed next to his unconscious friend. Gingerly he picked her up before jumping back to the others.

“We should move further back.” Hien suggested a bit more calmly than he felt when the familiar purple red glow that marked the use of concentrativity built around Zenos.

“Quickly! Lay her here.” Urianger had picked the clearest spot possible to render aid to Khaelen.

“She’s having a hard time breathing.” Estinien laid her down.

Urianger glanced at the seemingly harmless scratches. Her breaths were short and wheezing. “A poison.” He quickly set about purging the toxin.

Y’shtola gently urged the others to back up. “I know you are concerned but he needs to be able to work.”

Urianger frowned. “The poison hath been purged, yet her breath is labored still.” He started healing her again when she came close to stopping breathing.

“I hate to say this but we may have another problem.” Thancred motioned Estinien to his side.

Zenos approached the group making a point of putting Ame-no-Habakiri back in his revolver. “I can help.”

Thancred and Estinien blocked his path.

“Do you wish for her to die?” Zenos asked, his voice betraying the annoyance his mask hid on his face.

Y’shtola peered around the legs of the makeshift bodyguards. “It’s fine, let him by.”

“What?” Estinien turned his head to look down at the Miqo’te.

“He helped her. I seriously doubt that was so he could come over here just to kill her.” Alisaie coaxed the two men away from Y’shtola and Urianger. “You too, brother.”

“I will remain in case Urianger needs help.” Alphinaud shook his head.

“Now!” Alisaie grabbed her brother by the ear and pulled him over to where Hien and Yugiri were standing. Hien was doing all that he could to keep the other shinobi from rushing over.

Zenos pulled what looked like a thick, long black metal cylinder from a small pack on his belt and knelt on the opposite side of Khaelen from Urianger and Y’shtola. He was glad she had decided to go back to skirts. Doing this with chain mail on would have been hard. He pulled the cap off one end. “Roll her on her side away from me.”

Y’shtola eyed the devise in his hand. “This will help?” She rolled the other woman onto her side.

“We will not know for sure until I try.” He slid her skirt up an ilm then pressed the devise to her skin over the thickest part of muscle. There was a soft click when he pressed and held a button on the top for a few seconds. “Stop healing her.” He helped Y’shtola ease Khaelen back down.

Urianger frowned but stopped.

“Come on, breath.” Zenos urged softly.

It seemed like bells before Khaelen’s breathing returned to normal.

Alisaie glanced around her friends who were grudgingly standing off to one side while the others worked. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. She wondered if Zenos realized he was holding Khaelen’s hand as it rested at her side. She smiled when looks of relief crossed the other’s faces. “I think it worked.”

Zenos stood up and removed another of the cylinders from the small pack. He held it out to Y’shtola. “In case she needs it.”

“Thank you.” She took the device from him.

Thancred stood in front of the much taller Garlean man with his arms crossed. “Now that Khaelen is doing better, care to explain to us what just happened?”

Zenos paused. “There is a breed of voidsent who’s poison can cause sever allergic reactions in Au Ra. So severe as to cause death in a matter of minutes.”

“That is nothing but a fairy tale told to children to keep them from wandering alone at night.” Yugiri glared at him, her hands fidgeting with her daggers.

“So you knew this was going to happen? You knew what those things were doing here.” Estinien accused.

“I merely wanted to know what certain people where scheming. The technology was going to be used against the Xaela on the steppe. It never worked, the portals couldn’t be stabilized for long. If it was stabilized long enough for something to come through it was never what was desired. The experiment had been scrapped as far as I knew.”

“You expect us to believe that you just happened to show up with the antidote?” Alphinaud demanded.

“There is no antidote, or do you just not know what an allergic reaction is, boy? What I gave her is standard in our personal field medical packs in case someone has a reaction to something as common as a bee sting.” Zenos looked back at Urianger. “She is going to sleep for a while.” He walked around the others to head back to his ship.

Alisaie watched him walk away for a bit before she darted off after him, much to her brother’s surprised protest. She skidded to a stop in front of him. “Why did you help her? You could have just left her to die.”

Zenos paused. “Her death belongs to me, no other.” He stepped around her and continued on his way.

Alisaie was smirking when her brother reached her. She draped an arm around his shoulders as they walked back to the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... a slightly panicked Zenos...   
> And I honestly didn't mean to slam his head into the ground so much. It just kinda happened.


	8. How to Break Your Warrior of Light

Nero leaned back in the wooden chair and propped his legs up on the table. He and Cid had received a short cryptic message from Thancred to meet them at the Rising Stones. “This better be worth it. I was about to solve the issue we were having with the fuel system.”

“Thancred didn’t give many details, but it sounded urgent.” Cid pushed the other man’s feet off the table. “Besides that fuel system is still in the hypothetical stages. It could take months to solve.”

“Maybe for you, Garlond. Think of the applications. Those manacutters you built could fly without restriction indefinitely.”

The doors burst open and Estinien rushed in, Khaelen’s limp form in his arms. “We should have taken her to Ishgard, it wouldn’t have been much further.” He observed the startled looks of the few members that happened to be visiting at the moment. “They don’t need to see her like this.”

“You’re right.” Y’shtola ushered the dragoon towards the infirmary. “So hurry.”

Nero frowned watching the Elezen and Miqo'te rushing into the back rooms. “What happened?”

Thancred and Hien were carrying the large device and Urianger had one of the smaller ones. “Voidsent. Where do you want these?” Thancred gritted his teeth. These things were heavier than they looked.

Cid quickly cleared off a long metal table at the back of the room. “Here. What an I looking at?”

Thancred grunted as they sat the object down. “They opened up a portal to the Void. The little one there let vodoriga through. The other one let some sort of ogre through.”

Y’shtola touched Urianger briefly on the elbow signaling that he was needed in the back. “Apparently Au Ra are sensitive to the toxin in the voidsent’s claws.”

Nero turned his eyes from where the back rooms were to the magitek in front of him. “That project was scrapped. Things were too unstable and sometimes even tended to blow up. The sheer amount of aether needed was next to impossible to store.”

Y’shtola and Thancred exchanged a look. “So he wasn’t lying, about that part anyway.” The gunbreaker tapped the larger of the two devices. “It was this one. Some how they managed to get the right voidsent through.”

“How?” Nero had started opening up the casing.

“Easy there Nero.” Cid grabbed the other engineer’s arm. “We don’t know if they can be reactivated by us tinkering with them.”

Nero pulled his arm away. “You are to cautious, Garlond. Given the size of the devices, they couldn’t have stored enough aether for more than one portal. I’m surprised they were able to do even that. The original prototypes would have taken up half this room.”

“Were these things being built to target the Xaela?” Y’shtola pulled a chair over and sat down in it.

Nero nodded, glancing in the direction of the infirmary again. “Since they are no strangers to conflict it would have been hard to subjugate the Steppe. So these things were put into development. From what I understand the chance of an Au Ra reacting to the toxin is far greater than it not happening. It would have made taking the Steppe far easier.”

Yugiri’s eyes widened. “We have to warn the Xaela. If they have more of theses the Steppe is in danger.”

Hien nodded. “We should head back. Keep us informed as to what you find out.” They turned to leave.

Alisaie noticed Yugiri’s eyebrows drawn together as she was deep in thought. She wondered what could have the ninja looking so conflicted. “Yugiri, a moment?”

She smiled warmly at the Elezen girl and walked over to her. “Yes, my friend?”

“Is something bothering you? You look troubled.”

Yugiri frowned slightly. “If Zenos truly did not know what was going to happen…”

“Then he saved Khaelen and also you by warning you to stay back. It’s hard to understand, isn’t it?”

Alisaie shook her head. “He also provided what proved to be just what we needed to get back from the First.”

“One or two acts does not mean he is redeemed. It could be a ploy to lull us into a false sense of security.” The shinobi crossed her arms.

“Or maybe he’s just tired of being alone.” Hien mused startling the girls who hadn’t realized he had crept up to them. “After all, didn’t you say he called Khaelen friend a few weeks back when they had their reunion of sorts?”

“Even so, forgiving him, I can’t imagine being able to do it after everything.” Yugiri frowned.

Alisaie squeezed her hand. “I know. He has done so much to you and yours.”

Yugiri smiled slightly. “We should get going. Thank you, Alisaie. You have always been a comfort to talk to.”

The Elezen girl nodded and smiled. “You are always welcome.”

The screwdriver screeched across the metal surface of the device when it slipped as Nero was trying to loosen a stubborn screw. He had only glanced up for a moment when he thought he saw someone coming out from the infirmary.

“Give me that.” Cid held his hand out for the tool. “Go check on her.”

Nero looked at the doors leading to the back then at the device in front of him. “I..”

Cid motioned for him to had over the screwdriver. “It will be here when you get back.”

“Fine, just don’t break it while I’m gone.”

“I’m not the one who just put a gash in the casing with a screwdriver.”

Nero scowled and handed over the instrument. He headed back into the infirmary.

Thancred raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?”

Cid finished removing the screw and opened up the case. “That was Nero trying to come to terms with his feelings, but I didn’t tell you that.”

Y’shtola laughed lightly. “Nero? Really?”

“He has room in his mind to think of things other than engineering?” Thancred smirked.

“Apparently there is room enough for a certain Warrior of Light.” Y’shtola stifled another laugh when she saw Nero headed back in their direction, scowling.

“That Lalafel in the yellow refused to let me see her, yet that dragoon gets to sit at her bedside.” Nero peered at the insides of the magitek. “Why does he get to stay?”

Y’shtola tried not to laugh again and Thancred coughed to hide a chuckle.

“Even Krile can’t pry Estinien from her side.” Y’shtola managed after a few seconds.

“Why? What is she to him? Are they secret lovers?” Nero moved a bit of wiring out of the way to get a closer look at a crystal he had spied.

Thancred almost fell out of his chair coughing to hide his laughter at Nero’s annoyed tone.

The Garlean frowned at Thancred. “What is his problem?”

Y’shtola had an easier time hiding her amusement. “Estinien thinks of Khaelen, as well as Alphinaud, as family. From what I understand they became close while staying in Ishgard.”

Nero frowned slightly as he tried to wiggle a crystal free with some tweezers. “What type of crystal is this?”

Cid tried to peer around the tweezers to get a closer look at it. “I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like that before.”

The crystal came loose from the circuit board it was attached to with a slight pop. Nero held it up for all to see.

“Is that?” Thancred leaned forward a bit.

Y’shtola held her hand out. “May I?”

Nero shrugged and dropped it into her palm. “Don’t go blaming me if it zaps you.”

Y’shtola rolled the crystal around in her hand. “It’s white auracite. A small piece, but it is unmistakable.”

“Well that explains how they were able to store enough aether for the device.” Thancred crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “This means they know about it and it’s properties.”

“Given it’s rarity they would have to use it sparingly.” Y’shtola tapped her lip thoughtfully. “Unless

there is a natural formation of it someplace in Garlamald.”

“That would be poetic, if not a bit ironic.” Thancred shook his head. “But that doesn’t explain how they managed to summon that specific voidsent.”

“A dog whistle. I guess you could call it a voidsent whistle if you really wanted to.” Nero pointed to a peculiar looking area on each of the boards.

“What he is getting at is they used harmonic devices. It looks like each one is specific to the type of voidsent summoned.” Cid carefully removed one of them from the board.

“It must have taken forever to figure out what frequency would attract which voidsent.” Nero grinned.”However, it will only take a day maybe two to come up with a device that will interrupt the harmonics.”

Y’shtola held out one of the cylinders Zenos had given her. “What is this?”

Nero raised his eyebrows. “It’s part of a field survival kit that every soldier is given, Where did you get it?”

“Zenos. What is it used for?” She sat it down on the table.

“A precaution in case someone has a horribly bad reaction to something. It has a drug in it that opens a person’s airway. Wait, he used on on Khaelen?”

“Yes, is there something we should know about this? Is she in danger from it?” Y’shtola frowned.

Nero shook his head. “She’ll sleep for a while. He’s just not the type to help someone with out gaining something in return.”

“And that is why we are worried. What is his price going to be once it comes due?” Y’shtola retrieved the cylinder.

“Hopefully a simple thank you will suffice.” Thancred sighed. “If not we may find ourselves unable or unwilling to pay.”

The conversation wound down a couple of hours later when food was brought up. Nero slipped away from the others and over to the infirmary. The dragoon was still there appearing to sleep sitting in a chair that was way too small for his tall lanky form. Nero stepped closer to the bed and started to reach for Khaelen’s hand. She looked so small, so frail.

“What are you doing, Garlean?” The dragoon spoke, his eyes still closed.

“Seven hells!” Nero jumped back away from the bed. “I came to see how she was doing.” He recovered his composure and even managed to sound annoyed.

“She’s fine. Now leave.” Estinien’s ice blue eyes held no room for negotiation as he stared down the engineer.

“Are you going to chase all of her friends off?”

“I haven’t chased any of her friends off. As for you, I said leave.”

Nero scowled at the other man. “I am as much her friend as anyone else here.”

“That is debatable. She needs her rest, so go.”

“On that point we can agree. I will leave then, but don’t expect me to stay away. I am not so easily intimidated.”

Estinien made a disgruntled noise and closed his eyes.

Nero shook his head and headed into the hallway almost running into Cid. “Why are you lurking, Garlond?”

Cid nodded in the direction of Khaelen’s room. “Does it still matter?”

Nero narrowed his eyes. “Out of my way, I’m hungry.” He got about half way down the hallway and paused. “And if you really must know, no it doesn’t.”

Cid smiled as he listened to Nero’s foot steps fade.

~~~~

Zenos hissed as he slowly removed his armor. The spike lodged in his back had mostly remained unnoticed until that point. The entire way back to the capital he had seethed at what had happened. _How dare she interfere with my hunt!_ He knew anger, it had been a constant companion in his preteen years. Then he had found that it was useless, just like so many other emotions and he simply shut it off. Even when he struck down his father there was no anger, just a cold practicality.

He tried to reach the spike embedded in his shoulder, but it was in the one spot he couldn’t reach. This stoked his fury more, or maybe it was frustration? He had never been any good at telling the two apart. Gritting his teeth he pulled the ruined padded gambeson over his head. The spike remained firmly in his muscle. He had hoped it would come loose when he had yanked the offending garment off. No such luck. Zenos tossed the gambeson on the floor. Apparently he would have to call for his family medicus. The old man had treated him since he was born. He pressed a button on the wall intercom that would connect him to the infirmary.

It wasn’t long before the old man had him perched on a stool with a small surgical drape over his shoulder.

Sirius hummed a bit as he studied the spike, getting a feel for the depth of the wound. “How is it you of all people managed to get a quill to the back?”

“I called you here to remove it, not ask questions.” Zenos gritted his teeth when the medicus probed an especially tender spot.

“Well then. We both know that something like this happens when you have your back to an adversary. Given the depth and angle of it, you had to have been hunched over something or someone.”

Zenos remained silent.

“It’s barbed, I’m going to have to cut it out.” Sirius attached a needle to syringe and drew up a local anesthetic. He injected it just under the skin “Your aunt seemed rather proud of herself today. She was going on about there wouldn’t be any question that she should be empress since it was she that rid the world of the eikon-slayer. Now I learned the hard way early on in my career not to boast about the success of a surgery until the person was well on their way to recovery, because up until that point unforeseen things can happen. But I digress.” He made a small incision after the local had a chance to take effect. “Seems she managed to find some sort of voidsent to take out the girl. She will be livid if something unforeseen did happen and the girl lived. It might even benefit the girl if said unforeseen forces remained hidden in case she needed them again.” He finished removing the barb and plunked

it down in a metal bowel. “Souvenir?”

Zenos glanced at the offending spike that now sat harmless and bloody in the container. “No.” Some how after listening to the old man ramble he felt better or calmer at any rate.

Sirius finished dressing the wound. “I put a couple of stitches in there just in case. I know you heal fast, but keep it covered for at least the next day.” He put the spike in a glass jar and handed it to Zenos along with another vile. “I wouldn’t want to be caught with something you might want to keep, but if you don’t change your mind just pour the contents of the vile in with it. I wouldn’t breath the fumes though, they will eat your lungs right up.”

“Yes, being caught would be a terrible inconvenience.”

The old man smiled as he put all of his things back into his bag. “It was good seeing you, boy.” He bowed slightly and left the room.

Zenos resisted the urge to sigh after he was alone. Even with the ever present sound of magitek it was too quiet. Silence never bothered him before, but tonight it felt was it truly was, empty.

After his shower, Zenos stood in front of his mirror, a towel tied around his waist, and studied the reflection of his face in it. He didn’t look any different, aside from the faint scar on his neck. There was no outward expression of the thoughts that churned in his mind.

Since he had awoke in the corpse of a dead soldier, thoughts of her had dogged him almost every waking moment. It was a game of sorts to him. How close could he get to her? If he was to go up to her would she know it was him despite the body belonging to someone else? In his mind he had played numerous scenarios in his mind. Sometimes she would know and others she wouldn’t. Each always ended the same way though, with a glorious fight to put all others to shame. In none of them did he ever feel like he did now. This was new to him, though he had to have felt things like this sometime in his life. He had snuffed his emotions out one at a time when it became apparent they were there to burden him. In a way it had been freeing, to feel nothing. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass.

And then he had met her. Unremarkable at first, down right disappointing. He had felt a twinge of anger at that. Then that night in Doma. Even now it brought a smile to his lips. The thrill of the hunt was upon him. He watched her progress with great anticipation, laying out his plans to the last detail. He had gone off script at the end, asking her if she would accept him. He had expected her to laugh or shout her denial of him. Never would he have imagined she said she would say yes. He had almost faltered in his plans.

Here he was at the hunt again. This time his prey seemed broken somehow. His actions to this point he had told himself were to ensure she was worthy once more. There was no sport in wounded prey. Today. Today those reasons did not explain what he had felt when he saw that ogre take the field. The way his stomach seemed to fall. Then she had collapsed and it felt like the air was being squeezed from his lungs. Now all he wanted was to know there hadn’t been any complications. That she was alright. He resolved to find out the next day, even if he had to go to the Rising Stones to do so, He carefully emptied the contents of the glass bottle into the vile containing the spike and loosely corked is. The spike started to dissolve quickly. Zenos watched the bubbles race up the sides of the vile knowing it was going to be a long, restless night.

~~~~~~~

Khaelen finally managed to get Krile to let her out of bed late that evening with the understanding that she would spend the night at the Stones, just to be safe. She had also had to send Estinien away, his hovering was starting to drive her nuts. She had to promise him she would drop by Ishgard in the next few days. Sir Aymeric was worried about her according to him. She was honestly surprised she hadn’t woke up there.

Alisaie sat a fruit salad in front of Khaelen. “Krile sends her regards and a bowl of fruit.”

“You guys are terrible.” Khaelen picked up her fork. She was hungry, but her friend didn’t need to know.

“Khaelen! You are up and about. Between that awful Lalafel and dragoon I wasn’t able to check on you.” Nero pulled out a chair and sat down.

Khaelen smiled. “Estinien can be over protective.”

“No matter. I am going to buy you dinner tomorrow night, however.” Nero smiled charmingly at her.

“What?” Khaelen’s eyes widened a bit.

“Dinner, you do eat don’t you?”

“What?” Her eyes widened a bit more.

Nero chuckled a bit. “I’m asking you out on a date.”

“What?” Khaelen squeaked, her eyes widening even more.

“That’s a yes then, I’ll pick you up around eight in the evening tomorrow night.” Nero stood up and pushed the chair in, smiling from ear to ear. “Until then.”

Alisaie broke down into a fit of giggles at the dumbfounded look on her friends face.

Khaelen looked at her friend who was laughing so hard her eyes were tearing. “What just happened?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So enters the romance. I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic on this site. I have no clue how long it is going to be or what is going to happen exactly. I try to let the story grow organically. Than you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think!


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